The Tea House Gang plans to strike again

If you haven’t heard of the Tea House Gang, they are something

like the show business Rat Pack, only they come from local

Newport-Mesa real estate circles. Back in the 1960s, a gang of men,

numbering some 50 guys who worked together in the Coldwell Banker

commercial real estate office in Corona del Mar, banded together as

the community was developing around them. There was no Fashion Island

when the gang took its name from the architecture of the old Coldwell

Banker office.

More than 40 years have passed, and the men have all had an

imprint on the growth of Orange County, the coast in particular. Many

of them are among Newport Beach’s most influential business leaders.

In addition to their individual success stories, the men have stayed

together and in touch over the decades.

Last year, the gang decided to make its association more social

and fraternal. They decided to collectively give back to the

community that has so fruitfully rewarded all their entrepreneurial

souls.

The Tea House Gang decided to create an annual event they call

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Party,” held on a Sunday evening in the fall. Last

year, the 50 guys raised $65,000 from their Sunday evening in the

park with food, music and good old-fashioned community camaraderie.

They decided to give the entire sum to a small organization in Santa

Ana called Kidworks that enjoyed no star status on the social

circuit.

Kidworks is a community development program that works with

troubled youth offering exposure to education, vocational training

and more. College interns volunteer for Kidworks, producing a summer

camp for youth from kindergarten through high school. Emphasis is

placed on community-building and offering young people an avenue to

mainstream American success.

The staff, and volunteers, work with some 200 children and young

adults each month during the school year, and up to 250 people each

month during the summer program.

The Tea House Gang showed up at Kidworks last year and handed the

group a $65,000 check. “Larry Acosta, who founded the organization in

1993, and his staff fell out of their chairs,” offered event

organizer Bob Howard. “They couldn’t believe the whole thing.”

“We know that this money made a huge difference. Every penny of it

mattered,” Howard added.

With his wife, Cleva, Howard has been an active member of the

Newport community for many years.

We’re going to do it again” he confided recently about the gang.

“Plans are underway for the second event, and once again all proceeds

will go to Kidworks.”

Howard will be joined by Dan Donahue and John Parker, who are the

underwriting co-chairs. Richard Dick will serve as operations

chairman. Further support will come from Phillip Anshutz, W. Neil

Fox, Gordon Griffith, Robert Hirsch, Jeff Pence, Lee Sammis, Dave

Schweitzer, John Schumway, Fritz Swinehart, Weldon Wankier and James

Wood.

Also involved are fellow Tea House Gang members Dick Cramer, Peter

Marc, Doug Marshall, Dan Sweet, Tom Schriber, C.T. Steele, Tony

French, Scott Calder, J. Clark Booth, Steve Barnard and Eric Hansen.

This year’s event is set for Oct. 5 at Irvine’s Bommer Canyon

Park, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with live music, dancing, cocktails and

dinner. Tickets will be $125 per person, with casual attire. For more

information, call Bob Howard at (949) 721-0711 or Ann Stefanucci at

(562) 592-1727.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.