Several gatherings, several good causes

International jewelry designer David Yurman jetted into Newport

Beach to launch his latest Swiss luxury timepiece collection, which

is being called “Thoroughbred.”

Yurman, a native New Yorker who was an artist and sculptor before

creating his cable-theme jewelry, has created a humanitarian and arts

foundation named for himself and his wife, Sybil.

Yurman joined Traditional Jewelers’ owners Marion and Lula

Halfacre for a reception at Fashion Island that also included a

photographic retrospective titled “Women of Hollywood.”

The Yurman Award was created to recognize persons who give time

and funding to charity and the arts. Included in special projects are

Elton John’s AIDS Foundation and The Silver Shield Fund, helping

families of the New York City firefighters and police lost in the

Sept. 11 tragedy.

A private cocktails reception at Pinot Provence, Costa Mesa, on

Tuesday night brought together some very serious local families

following in the David and Sybil Yurman spirit of philanthropy. An

intimate dinner organized by Newport’s Sandra Segerstrom Daniels and

John Daniels, Teddie and Michael Ray, Wylie and Betty Aitkin and

Martin and Elaine Weinberg, with support from friends and associates,

launched an Orange County charitable association created to help

fight pediatric AIDS.

“We are launching this from scratch in Orange County by bringing

together families who care in a grass-roots effort to start a local

chapter of support to combat the devastating effects of AIDS in

helpless children,” said Teddie Ray, busy introducing local friends

to one another to garner support to launch the charity.

Sandy and John Daniels enlisted the backing of mega-retailer South

Coast Plaza, with representative Billur Wallerich helping to

coordinate the reception at Pinot. The reception was partially

underwritten by Mikimoto and Co., represented by William Thomas.

The Guilds of the Orange County Performing Arts Center will

celebrate 25 years of supporting Orange County performances. A

holiday party hosted by the Performing Arts Center board of directors

will be held at the Center Club next week in Costa Mesa honoring

Guilds leadership.

The holiday “thank you” luncheon will also feature an announcement

of the Guilds’ fashion show luncheon, slated for April 1, 2003, which

will involve a large percentage of more than 2,000 community members

representing 32 chapters, all supporting the Performing Arts Center.

Guilds Chairman Gerrie Goodreau will be on hand, along with Center

Chairman Jerry Mandel, to welcome guests for the holiday gathering.

The Newport-Mesa crowd is preparing for their 30th annual dinner,

set for Sunday, in support of Los Ayudantes and Pretend City

Children’s Museum.

Each year, Los Ayudantes -- a group of men and women who for the

past three decades have joined forces to support a different charity

-- have made a name for themselves in the community by helping the

less fortunate. This year, City 60 -- the founding auxiliary of

Pretend City, in association with the Children’s Museum of Orange

County -- will receive funds raised from the $150 per person holiday

event.

The dinner co-chairs are Terry Miller and Connie Harrington.

Additional local support is coming from Los Ayudantes President

Robert Cristiano, Erin Spriggs, Rich Stenton, Frank Scott, Bill Marsh

and local City 60 supporters, including Alex Parker, Heather Klein,

Molly Davin, Sally Clark, Susan Beall and Megan Wong.

Ballet Pacifica is thrilled to have the Taco Bell Corporation as

principal sponsor of its upcoming performances of the “Nutcracker,”

set to run Dec. 13 to 24 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. The Taco Bell

sponsorship will underwrite production costs, allowing the dance

organization, led by artistic director Molly Lynch of Newport Beach,

to feature a cast of more than 150 dancers in what promises to be a

dazzling holiday production.

Additional “Nutcracker” supporters include the William Gillespie

Foundation, Mervyn’s Department Stores of California and the

University of California’s ARTSBRIDGE Program.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.