Biggest and brightest celebrate the arts

The fourth annual Arts Orange County Awards brought together some of

the best and brightest of local citizens dedicated to outstanding

achievement in the local arts world. More than 400 guests converged

upon Newport’s Sutton Place Hotel ballroom, greeted by Bonnie

Brittain Hall, Arts Orange County executive director.

A lively reception was followed by an outstanding dinner and

program presided over by dedicated local Chairwoman Patricia Poss.

Her team of volunteers solicited a number influential sponsors,

including Keith and Judy Swayne, Phil and Mary Lyons, Carl and Pat

Neisser, Charlie and Margie Bunten, Harry and Mary Hamilton, Betty

Steele, and David and Elaine Krajanowski.

The sentimental evening was hosted by John Forsyte and Teri

Ralston. Many of the guests have long been noted as leaders of

cultural activities in this county.

The 2003 honorees were John Alexander, artistic director, Pacific

Chorale; Roger Armstrong, visual artist and teacher; and Thomas and

Marilyn Nielsen, philanthropists and community leaders.

South Coast Repertory and Fullerton Museum Center were lauded as

outstanding arts organizations; Raymond Kobler and Ramya Harishankar,

outstanding individual artists; Paul Folino, outstanding patron;

Darrel Anderson, outstanding volunteer; and Madison Elementary

School, Santa Ana, Capistrano Unified School District and Art &

Creativity for Healing, outstanding arts educators.

Spotted in the exuberant crowd were Marsha and Darrell Anderson,

Marian and Garth Bergeson, David and Kelly Emmes, Jim and Catherine

Emmi, Terry Goldfarb-Lee, Mike and Eleanor Gordon, Marlene Hamontree,

Bill and Carolyn Klein, Leon Lyon, Donna Phelps, Mel and Marcia

Rogers, George and Maryann Wentworth, and Robin Turner. Richard

Schweickert serves as president of the board of directors for Arts

Orange County.

SHARING WILD TIMES

It was another Wild and Crazy Taco Night in Costa Mesa, Share Our

Selves’ 10th annual special chef’s taco demonstration night.

“This year, not 10, but 13 of Orange County’s finest chefs

demonstrated their community spirit by hosting SOS’s kick-off

celebration that precedes the annual elegant dinner held in the fall

at the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa,” said Karen

Harrington, director of development for SOS.

The event attracted enormous community support, raising more than

$18,000 that will support SOS’s Orange Aid Project.

Orange Aid collects retrievable food from restaurants, grocery

stores, bakeries and caterers and then distributes the food to

low-income Orange County residents.

Six mornings a week, volunteer drivers collect food from 41

locations and bring it to SOS. aOther volunteers package the food for

needy families. Other volunteers then give out 200 bags of groceries

each weekday, with 60% of that food coming from the Orange Aid

project.

The Wild and Crazy Taco Night was co-chaired by Michael Kang and

Max Wood, with support from Phil Campanelli, Emily Evans and Mark

Wilson, to name a few.

Local founders of Orange Aid include Hal Rosoff, Marla Bird, John

Martin, Jonathan Blum, Karen McGlinn and Michael Kang. For more

information on Share Our Selves, please contact Harrington at (949)

642-3451.