Schneiders start scholarship for Austrian students

In a generous gesture of healing and forgiveness, an Orange Coast

couple persecuted under the regime of Adolph Hitler returned to their

native Austria to create a scholarship for Austrian college students.

The civic-minded Eva and Fred Schneider, both concentration camp

survivors, decided three years ago to make an important personal

commitment to ensure that history does not repeat itself. To this

end, they returned to their native country to establish an annual

competition for students writing essays on topics related to

understanding history as an avenue to grasping contemporary world

affairs.

The award this year was granted to an Austrian student named Tina

Friedrich. Her essay topic was the peaceful resistance of civil

rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. The

Schneiders traveled to Vienna with their children and grandchildren

to present the award to Friedrich.

‘MEMORIES IN THE MAKING’

The Alzheimer’s Assn. of Orange County held its “Memories in The

Making” art auction last week to raise funds to help support some

50,000 people living with Alzheimer’s disease in Orange County. TV

spokeswoman Stephanie Edwards served as mistress of ceremonies for

the fund-raising cocktail party and auction of original artwork

created by persons in Orange County afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease.

The party unfolded at Northern Trust Bank in Newport Beach, where

some 36 pieces of original art were auctioned in both a silent and

live auction format. The event has become an annual delight for the

crowd, which comes to support a most worthy cause and go home with

artwork that is infused with emotion. The paintings, auctioned by

Chuck Dryer, went for as high as $1,000.

The works were framed at no charge by a number of local vendors,

enabling the Alzheimer’s Assn. to maximize donation profits. In

addition to Northern Trust Bank, Kirkwood of Orange, Colorplus

Graphics, BlueC, Donna and John Crean, Hoag Memorial Hospital, The

Hutton Foundation, Leatherby Family Foundation, Pfizer, Inc., and

Robinsons May sponsored the event.

“Memories In The Making” was chaired by Joyce Weiss, with support

from Virginia Atherton, Donna Bianchi, Sharon Bowen, Cathy Boyle,

Joyce Graham and La Doris Heinly. Newport’s Nora Hester helped

underwrite the effort in the memory of her husband, the late Charles

Hester, who was a dedicated Alzheimer’s advocate.

For more information on the Alzheimer’s Assn. of Orange County,

call (714) 283-1111.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.