THE CROWD -- B.W. Cook

Kingsley and Jack Croul recently opened their Corona del Mar home for

the 41st annual patroness tea of the Adoption Guild of Southern Orange

County. More than 250 guests filled the residence with lively

conversation and upbeat support for the charity, which is a

nondenominational adoption agency under the wing of the Catholic Holy

Family Services.

The party was a feast for all the senses. Exquisite floral donations

from the Newport Coast Floral Co., overflowing wines from Hi Time Wine

Cellars of Costa Mesa and gifts donated by both patrons and local

merchants, including South Coast Plaza, Ashworth, Puma, Balboa Bay

Racquet Club and California Closets, helped to make the afternoon a major

success.

Philanthropic underwriters included Arden Flamson, Joy Emerson, Joan

Sammis and many more. The tea is an annual event that is a harbinger of

the Adoption Guild Tennis Tournament, set for May 25 to May 27, as well

as June 1 and June 2, at Newport Beach Tennis Club. Tennis great Roy

Emerson will again serve as honorary tournament chairman.

Organizers expect to raise a significant six-figure sum from the

tournament to help support the Adoption Guild. Also in the crowd at the

tea were Donna Davison, Camille Reno, Marily Wilson and South Coast

Plaza’s dedicated Billur Wallerich. The tea was co-chaired by Bonnie

Swarberg and Jody Young. Melinda O’Brien serves as president of the

Adoption Guild.

* * *

It was a “Wild and Crazy” taco night for Share Our Selves’ ninth

annual fiesta, which attracted hundreds of locals intent on helping the

Costa Mesa service agency raise much needed funds to support the working

poor in this community.

Ten of Orange County’s best-known chefs went to work to create an

amazing assortment of taco creations. The evening was a celebration in

anticipation of a much more elegant affair, the Celebrity Chefs Dinner,

which will take place in the fall at the Robert Mondavi Food and Wine

Center.

Nearly 500 Newport-Mesa residents turned out for last week’s taco

night celebration held at the Superior Avenue kitchen of Share Our

Selves. The $30 donation raised an estimated $18,000 for the group,

reports Karen Harrington, director of development.

Michael Kang and Max Wood co-chaired the evening. Special support came

from Cindy Tuch, Emily Evans, Karen McGlinn, Karen Taylor and Carlito

Jocson, to name only a few.

* * *

Enormous community support was evident at the third annual Orange

County Arts Award Dinner held recently at the Four Season Hotel in

Newport Beach. Seventeen annual achievement awards and three lifetime

achievement awards were bestowed upon deserving local residents by Jerry

Mandel, president of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and

Cynthia Harriss, president of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

Mandel and Harriss served as eloquent emcees for the affair that was

chaired by Patricia Poss. Celebrating both individual creativity and

community spirit through the arts, the council has helped to focus local

attention on the importance of culture in the Newport-Mesa community, as

well as Orange County as a whole.

Among the honored were John and Elizabeth Stahr, Judith Morr and

Donald McKayle. Also included in the impressive circle of honor were

Vesta Curry, Sandy and John Daniels, Troy Botello, Laurie Brown and Teri

Ralston.

The Orange County Arts Awards were created by Catherine Thyen.

Dedicated local patron Carl Neisser was its first president and had

support from a wide range of community members, including Jim and

Catherine Emmi, Harry and Mary Hamilton, Dee and Larry Higby, Alison and

Bud Frenzel, Judith Jelinek, Roger and Gail Kirwan, Mary Lyons, Tom and

Marilyn Nielson, Donna and Ronald Phelps, and Anton and Jennifer

Segerstrom.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.