A very fashionable Christmas at the Ritz

They come for the friendship. They come for the fabulous food.

They come to buy chance tickets for one of the most incredible door

prize raffles on the social circuit.

Mostly, they come to support Chapman University at the annual

Christmas at The Ritz celebration.

Since 1987, many of the most fashionable set in Newport-Mesa and

Orange County have come together in early December to enjoy the

holiday season and raise funds for a variety of Chapman University

needs.

Christmas at The Ritz has been an event sponsored by a Chapman

support group known as The Fashionables, who began working for the

University in 1971.

Looking smashing in her holiday red suit, Fashionables member

Irene Mathews said that the group has contributed more than $1

million over the years, underwriting “many scholarships, The Center

For Human Development, The Human Performance Laboratory, the

All-Faiths Chapel, and most recently The Sculpture Garden and the

Cyber Courtyard, both of which will be focal points of Chapman’s new

Leatherby Libraries.

“This year we begin fund-raising to support an exciting new

project -- the building of a state-of-the-art cinema at Chapman’s new

School of Film and Television,” said Mathews, married to physician

William Mathews and a respected psychologist in her own right.

Guests arrived for the Saturday luncheon at The Ritz in Newport

Center and were greeted by the chair of the event, Joan Riach of Lido

Isle, beautifully dressed in her very own red Christmas suit, adorned

with a spectacular diamond brooch fashioned like a rose. Matching

diamond earrings completed the holiday sparkle graciously loaned to

the pretty lady from Lido by event sponsor Van Cleef & Arpels.

It was just a hint of what would come later in the luncheon, as

statuesque Van Cleef models meandered through the dining room, making

the ladies swoon and the men nervous.

Joan’s husband, Tom Riach, a prominent Southern California land

developer, was encouraged to turn his wife’s loaned jewelry into a

Christmas gift. Tom did not respond except to smile politely.

The event began with a lively reception in The Ritz garden, where

the holiday martinis flowed and generous Chapman supporters,

including Fashionables president Betty Belden Palmer, held court with

the honorary chairs of the day, Daranne and Paul Folino and Dee Dee

and Donald Sodaro.

Also spotted in the crowd were Sandy Biegel, Leslie Cancellieri,

Martha Green, Sue Hook, Charlene Prager, Sharon McKinnon, Alison

McCormick and her lovely mother Marion Pickens.

As the mixing and mingling came to a close, guests were ushered

into the restaurant for a sold-out celebration that was light on the

speeches and full throttle on table-hopping and the sharing of

long-time friendships.

Jim Doti, president of Chapman University, said a few words and

introduced a few of the dignitaries in the crowd. The truth is, Doti

could have introduced the entire restaurant, as the celebration was

indeed a who’s who of Orange County.

Some of the honorable citizens attending were Paul and Virginia

Knott Bender; Lynn Hirsch Booth; Julianne Argyros, in from Spain for

a few days to spend time with her daughter and newborn twin

grandchildren; and Beverly Cohen, owner of the former John Wayne

estate, escorted by Newport hairstylist Craig Brown, outfitted in his

own red Christmas blazer.

The beautiful Pat Cranford was in the crowd, as was Carole and

Robert Follman, Marlene and Sam Hammontree and Scott Hornsby, whose

late wife, Mary Lou, was a cornerstone of Newport society and a major

supporter of The Fashionables.

Darell and Marsha Anderson were also in the crowd with Richard and

Patricia Allen, Zee Allred, Ronnie Allumbaugh, Elaine Keck, Dorothy

and Don Kennedy, the Lindquist family, Jerry Richards and, in from

Beverly Hills, Kevin Parker.

In addition to dignitaries at the luncheon, there were some

families with children and grandchildren attending Chapman

University. Jim Doti paid special attention to Kelsey Riach, the

granddaughter of Joan and Tom Riach.

Kelsey was helping her grandmother make sure everyone was taken

care of at the party. Her proud parents Vicky and Tom Riach Jr., up

from South County, also did their part pitching in to help their

mother and father.

The luncheon began with wild mushroom cappuccino soup, and

continued with a duet of filet mignon and Maryland crab cakes. A warm

winter pear cheesecake served in caramel sauce was the perfect finish

to a holiday meal made possible by the generous support of the new

owner of The Ritz, Fred Glusman.

As the luncheon service concluded, the opportunity prize drawing

began. Nineteen absolutely incredible gifts valued at from $1,000 to

more than $3,500 each were drawn and given away to the lucky ticket

holders. A stay at New York’s swank Carlyle Hotel, jewelry from David

Webb, a custom hand-tailored suit from David Rickey, crystal from

Baccarat, a shopping spree at Neiman Marcus and a gift certificate

from Escada in South Coast Plaza were among the giveaway items.

Chapman patron Ann Stern was busy selling raffle tickets before

the drawing, telling her customers that she was feeling lucky and

that her late husband, Wolf, was with her in spirit helping to sell

the tickets. After the drawing, Stern proudly confessed that five of

the winners came from her ticket sales.

The success of the event, which helped to raise funds for the new

School of Film and Television, was in no small part due to the

generosity of corporate sponsors including Handford Hotels Inc.,

Giorgio Armani, Van Cleef & Arpels, Ketel One Vodka and the many

generous donors providing the opportunity prizes.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.