A midsummer night’s festival to help children

A perfect summer evening at Fashion Island welcomed hundreds of

Childhelp USA patrons who gathered for Ferragosto. The annual

midsummer fest, based on a traditional Italian summer party, unfolded

its ninth season on the Orange Coast with style.

Co-chaired by Christine Bren and Pam Pharris, with Mary Ellen and

Anwar Solimar serving as honorary chairs, the al fresco dinner-dance

filled Fashion Island with music as host Stefano Albano, general

manager of Tutto Mare, presided over an Italian dinner worthy of

praise.

Incredible roasted meats, sausages and fish mixed with gourmet

pastas, potatoes and every imaginable condiment, including marinated

artichokes, a succulent olive tapenade, grilled veggies and so much

more. Guests raved about the food, including restaurateur Randy

Schoch and his beautiful wife, Cheri, dressed in very cool white lace

for summer. Schoch is the owner of Roy’s at Fashion Island and the

soon to open Thaifoon.

Complementing Stefano Albano on the cuisine, the two men raised a

glass of burgundy wine to toast business in Newport Beach. “We help

each other,” said Albano, adding: “A fine restaurant does not compete

with another fine restaurant in the same location. We offer our

customers more choices, and they will dine more often with all of

us.”

The Schochs attended the evening with Lido’s Ann and John Wortman

and Lee Healy and husband Larry Cano, a filmmaker responsible for the

movie “Silkwood.” Cano is a serious celluloid master, with a master’s

degree from UCLA in film. He is both teacher and creator. Cano held

court with the crowd offering, “I only want to make quality films

that speak to the human condition.”

As the rhythm and blues band Blue Machine heated up the evening,

committee members Jana Shuler, Tami Smith, Eileen Saul, Cleo Bluth,

Carol Packard, Julie Wittington, Kim Doud, Katherine Meredith, Lindah

Miles, Shan Womack and Tammy McKennon worked the crowd, enjoying the

ambience of the Bloomingdale’s Courtyard and selling raffle tickets.

The more than 300 guests were most generous, adding to the tally for

the evening.

Major sponsors of the night included the Bluth family, Spectrum

Restaurant Group, Argyros Foundation, Stephanie and Jeff Gehl,

Christine and Cary Bren, Fashion Island, St. John, Anderson’s

Seafoods, Cathy and Michael Brothers, Sue and Joe Ingardia, Myrna

Levy, Nita Luke and Patti and Jim Edwards.

Patti Edwards has been one of the sustaining donors and

participants making the Orange County chapter of Childhelp USA one of

the most prominent in the nation. “This is the first year Jim and I

can’t attend,” confided Patti Edwards earlier in the day. “Our

daughter is getting ready to leave for a semester abroad and we just

can’t come, but I know that Christine and Pam have done a wonderful

job.”

Numerous vendors and retailers contributed to the success, making

the Childhelp party one of the most delightful on the summer social

calendar. All funds raised, which will approach the six-figure level,

will be donated to Childhelp USA to fund programs at the Beaumont,

Calif., child-care facility for abused, abandoned and neglected

children. Childhelp USA, founded some 50 years ago by Yvonne

Fedderson and Sara O’Meara, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest

nonprofits caring for children.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.