Orangewood is real winner of Toshiba Senior Classic

June Casagrande

On a gorgeous green golf course, a who’s who of the charity circuit

rubs elbows with world-renowned golfers. At the same time, scattered

throughout the region, hundreds of young people outgrowing foster

care face a frightening world alone.

But thanks to the Orangewood Children’s Foundation, some of these

young people will enjoy a bit of comfort and support from

participants of the well-heeled Toshiba Senior Classic.

For three years running, Orangewood has been one of the charities

that benefit from the golf tournament. Though Hoag Hospital is the

best-known beneficiary of the annual pro golf event, some smaller

charities also get a needed boost.

“What it does is it helps us provide services to foster youth who

are leaving the foster care system,” Orangewood Executive Director

Gene Howard said. “As you know, kids that leave the foster care

system don’t have parents to care for them. We provide housing, jobs,

education, we have a very large scholarship foundation. We’ve helped

over 200 former foster youth at colleges and universities across the

United States, and these dollars help us help these kids realize

their dreams.”

In 2001 and 2002, Orangewood received $45,000 from the Toshiba

Senior Classic -- enough to send eight former foster children to

college for four years.

“We have partnerships with local colleges that match the money we

put in, so it turns out to be enough to cover full tuition, books,

housing and expenses,” Howard said.

The golf tournament is the most lucrative charity event on the PGA

Champions Tour. In the last five years, the Toshiba Senior Classic

has donated more than $4.7 to more than 20 different charities. Last

year, it became the first event on the tour to raise $1 million for

three consecutive years.

Most of that money goes to Newport Beach’s Hoag Memorial Hospital

Presbyterian, which has been the organizer of the event since 1996.

Last year, the hospital took in just more than $1 million in

proceeds, all of which went to building the hospital’s Women’s

Pavilion. This year, organizers hope to match that amount.

“It’s been really important to the community fund-raising process

for the Women’s Pavilion,” Hoag Vice President Peter Foulke said.

On top of that, the Toshiba Senior Classic Scholarship Fund gives

$2,000 and a Toshiba computer to 12 Orange County students. The

Explorer Scouts of Orange County, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of

Orange County, the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center, Boy Scouts of

America, UCI Athletics, L.A. Conservation Corps and the Corona Del

Mar High School Golf Team also benefit from the event.

“I think it’s a real testament to the altruism of golfers,” Howard

said.