CHOC it up to time, effort and fundraising

BARBARA DIAMOND

CHOC-aholics rejoice. The Queen of Hearts Guild of Children’s

Hospital of Orange County has raised enough money in the last two

years to fund a treatment room for CHOC at Mission Hospital.

“Fantasy by the Sea,” held Friday at the Surf & Sand, put the

guild over the top. The goal is to build an 11-room pediatrics

emergency department.

“We need your help,” said Rob Winokur, of Mission Hospital. “I am

here for one specific goal: an emergency department specifically for

children.

“You may not need it today or tomorrow, but you will need it.

“On Sept. 12, when Bo Harmon woke up, he didn’t think he would

need it. His parents didn’t think he would need it.”

He needed it.

Harmon and a friend went to check on the surf on their

skateboards. He had a helmet with him, but it wasn’t on his head.

Harmon wiped out and ended up in the hospital.

He was in a coma for two weeks and spent a month in intensive

care, but he survived.

“It’s a great pleasure to be here to share my gratitude to CHOC,”

Harmon said. “The biggest mistake of my life was leaving home without

putting on my helmet.”

He had to learn to walk again, to jump. He is grateful to the

people who donate to expand the CHOC pediatrics care that made it

possible for him to resume an active life.

“I speak now to groups and at schools about helmet safety, so

others don’t have to go through what I did.” Harmon said. “But still,

things happen. I thank the people who support this great hospital,

this great cause.”

The Queen of Hearts Guild was chartered in 1962. They meet at 10

a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at members’ homes. Dues are

$40 a year, and members must buy a ticket for the annual fund-raiser.

Guild members include Pat Kollenda, who served as mistress of

ceremonies for the black-tie dinner dance and auction in the

elegantly appointed Pelican Room at the Surf & Sand.

Kollenda, who could make the telephone book sound like a

double-entendre, described the room as intimate.

“We are an intimate crowd,” she told the guests. “We hand-picked

you. You wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t.” It sounded like an

invitation to tango.

Kollenda also helped jazz up the live auction.

Mary Ferguson needed no encouragement. She opened the bidding on

the five-night stay at Manele Bay hotel on the Hawaiian island of

Lanai and she closed it with a $7,000 bid. The rest of the time,

Ferguson was snapping photographs of guests at the fund-raiser.

Other live auction items included two cruises and a visit at

top-rated hostelries in Bora Bora and Tahiti.

Major underwriters included First American title Insurance Co.,

New Century Financial Corp., Crevier BMW and an anonymous

contributor.

Lyn Carlyle chaired the event. Sandy Ewing chaired the silent and

live auctions. Laguna Beach High School students Cameron Cler,

Stephanie Pearson, Chelsea Robinson, Brianna Duplisea, Roya Mahdavi

and Deanna Schafer earned community service hours by assisting the

event committee.

Roxanna Ward entertained. Soundbytes, which has performed at Music

in the Park, played dance music.

The guest list included former school board members Tim Carlyle

and Karen Linden and her husband, Tom; Cindy Clohessey, Jim Kollenda,

Kathy Coakley, Joe Ferguson, Jack Curtis and Bob and Linda Cole,

president-elect of the guild.

For more information about the guild, visit web site

lynnetom@msn.com or call (949) 499-4035.

ALOHA FROM LAGUNA

The Assistance League of Laguna Beach turned the garage of the

Chapter House into a “Little Brown Shack in Hawaii” Saturday for the

Luau in Las Vegas fundraiser.

Kathy Hill decorated the garage with tablecloths in tropical

colors, beach towels, Hawaiian shirts and paintings of native maidens

owned by club member Barbara Millar’s husband, collected when he

worked for Paramount Studio.

She even found room for a convertible, equipped, of course, with

surfboards.

Another downstairs room in the Chapter House displayed silent

auction items. Sharyn Evert donated a painting of the Cottage

Restaurant that will be used on T-shirts to celebrate the 40th

anniversary of the local eatery.

Other donors included Rock Martin, Montage Spa, Sundried Tomato,

Laguna Playhouse, Hotel Laguna, Pageant of the Masters, Javier’s,

Tivoli Terrace, photographer Cheryl, Wyland Gallery, Cedar Creek Inn,

Aegean Cafe and the Laguna Beach Garden Club, which donated tickets

to its annual tour, May 6, and a copy of the club’s beautiful book,

“Secret Gardens.”

“We hope to raise about $8,500,” said Betty Barnes, chair of the

fundraising committee.

The money will benefit league programs not already funded.

Gambling tables were up stairs where guests were greeted by Faith

Garcia, costumed to demonstrate the Tahitian Hulu.

On the fundraiser committee: Carolyn Lyons, Eileen Wilson, Gayle

Bradley, Pat Waddel, Betty Groves and Lynn Vihlene.

RACE DAY DRAWS A DRIVE

If Coronado Drive looked strangely deserted recently, it was

because most of the homeowners -- and some from nearby streets --

were at Santa Anita.

Along for the ride: Lagunans Chuck and Birgitta Schoen, MiMi and

Durk Buffington, Barbara and Jim Foster, Joy and Craig Phillips, Bob

Coons and Kim Johnson, all of Coronado Drive; Clemet and Suellen

Crossno, Heromi and Kjeld Paschmann and Phyllis Edmond and Steve

Thermis, all of Bermuda Drive; Bonnie, Michael and Jennifer Proppe of

Anacapa Drive; Sheila and Warren Newman, city Treasurer Laura Parisi,

and Friends of the Library and Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. President

Martha Lydick.

The first race of the day was named Coronado Drive Plus and the

whole bunch went down for a group photo in the Winner’s Circle after

the race. Jim Foster, Kjeld Paschmann and Martha Lydick had their

picture taken with the winner, Early Snow.

Chuck Schoen recognized Early Snow’s owner, Arthur Kin, whom he

had met while visiting Moscow. Kin’s horse paired with Baldwin County

to pay $23 on the first exacta of the day.

* 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.