For the boys and girls

OUR LAGUNA

Philanthropy is not a spectator sport in Laguna Beach.

The annual Boys and Girls Club gala held at the Ritz-Carlton

raised $83,000. The Art of Giving Gala celebrated the completion of

the $3.3-million capital campaign and the agreement with the Pacific

Symphony Orchestra and the Pacific Chorale to provide a new

performing arts program.

“What you are doing with this program is giving children the

greatest gift you can,” said orchestra Maestro Carl St. Clair,

honorary co-chair with his wife, Susan, of the club’s third annual

gala.

The performing arts program is scheduled to begin in the fall of

2004, when renovations and expansion are completed on the 37-year-old

clubhouse on Laguna Canyon Road, funded by the capital campaign.

“I am so excited about joining with Boys and Girls Club in this

program,” chorale conductor John Alexander said.

About 250 club supporters attended the gala, which included a

silent auction, a live auction, dinner, entertainment by the Pacific

Chorale boys and girls choruses and the children in the club’s Even

Start Program.

“Aren’t they heavenly,” said Kim Maxwell, club executive director.

Maxwell served as mistress of ceremonies and assisted “Dollar”

Bill Johnson in the live auction.

“And I thought the Anaheim Angels were winners,” Johnson said.

Proceeds from the gala will be used to offset club operating

expenses.

Sponsors included the Ritz-Carlton, the Ebell Club of Laguna

Beach, the Howarth Family, Keith and Judy Swayne (he’s president of

the club board, she was on the gala committee), the Taco Bell Corp.,

the Burge and Smith Family, California Title Co. First National

Merchant Solutions, Latham & Watkins, Smith Barney, Autobytel, event

committee member Gina Klebanoff, club board member Gary Kubesh of

Union Bank, and retired business consultant Walt Lindberg.

Many of the sponsoring companies do more than just write a check.

Employees or owners serve on the club’s board of directors.

Bob Chapman is general manager of Prudential, the agents of which

have pledged a percentage of the commissions to raise $75,000 for the

club. Don Crevier, club vice president of development, owns a BMW

dealership, which provided the opportunity prize at the gala of a new

Z-4 or $25,000 in cash.

Fred Grigsby Jr. is vice president of Southern California Edison.

Milt Naylor owns Impact Marketing Specialists. Bill Wood is president

of PacifiCare Foundation and Greg Tamanaha works of Pacificare Health

Systems.

Joe Ziomek, who served on the event committee, works for Morgan

Stanley. Mike Hefty owns Spectrum Business Centers, which handled the

advertising in the gala program.

Blossom Group owner Ginny Blossom chaired the gala committee,

which also included Whitney Blain, Pamela Estes, Shari Malatesta,

Angie Miller, Steve Norton and Bali Thorn.

“Our club’s goal is to promote the positive development of healthy

behaviors, ethical values, academic achievement and cultural

appreciation in the youth of our community,” club executive director

Maxwell said. “We are looking forward to the expansion and

revitalization of our clubhouse in 2004. Our exceptional staff and

high-quality programs will be able to serve even more kids, building

brighter futures for us all.”

The club has served the children and families of Laguna Beach for

more than 50 years, first as the Boys Club at Main Beach.

Eight hundred thirty-four children and their families depend on

the club for after-school and vacation programs and supervision. It

claims to be the largest provider of comprehensive development

programs in the area.

Membership is $250 a year. Scholarships are available.

Ninety-three were donated at the gala, included in the net proceeds.

With the addition of 7,000 square feet to the 18,000-square-foot

facility, funded by the capital campaign, the club expects to

increase service and programs to 1,500 children and families.

The road ahead will continue to provide challenges as the club

expands programs and services builds strong relationships with

organizations such as the Pacific Chorale and the Pacific Symphony to

nurture children, event chair Blossom said.

Maestro St. Clair said children might not immediately recognize

the value of the performing arts program. He didn’t.

“When I was a kid in Texas, my mother said she was going to give

me the greatest present in the world,” St. Clair said. “A horse? A

bike? A baseball glove?”

Instead, she drove the 6-year-old to a music lesson.

“It took me two or three years to realize that she had indeed

given me the greatest of all presents.” St. Clair said.

The Pacific Symphony, which spends the largest portion of its

budget, 10%, on children’s educational programs, fully supports the

club’s performing arts initiative, St. Clair said.

“My greatest gift was the American Boys Choir,” said Alexander,

Pacific Choral artistic director. “I heard them and I said I want to

join.”

His experiences with the choir inspired him to develop a choir

program for children. Graduates join the training chorus for the

Pacific Chorale.

“There is never a wasted moment in a music lesson,” St. Clair

said.

Among those who attended the gala were: Susan Lawrence, who had

hit up her dad, Harry, for one Warren’s Imports iconic fish bowls for

the silent auction; Katy Moss, who went as the guest of Philo and

Diane Smith, longtime supporters of the club; Maggie Hempen (formerly

Stapp), a party planner who used to own the limo service in town;

Carl and Cheryl Post, who “bought” the entry lobby in memory of their

son, Brandy, at a previous fund-raiser; Lyn and Tim Carlyle, who were

involved in the capital campaign; and Lauri Krause, “a saint, who

attends every event with Don Crevier,” said Councilwoman Elizabeth

Pearson, a longtime supporter of the club.

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman was Pearson’s guest at the gala.

“Both my boys have played roller hockey and basketball at the Boys

and Girls Club,” Kinsman said. “These programs are so important to

the youth of Laguna.”

Also on the guest list were: former City Councilman Wayne Peterson

and Terry Smith, “Olympicsmeister” Peter Ueberroth and wife Ginny,

school board member Bob Whalen and wife Kirsten, Neighborhood Watch

honcho Joe Jahraus and wife Susan, Chamber of Commerce Executive

Director Anne Morris and husband Mike, and Ebell Club members

Michellene Channels, Mary Jo Mancuso, Shirley McCalla, Ginney

Preston, Mary Thompson and Elinor Tiner.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321 or fax 494-8979.