‘Stars’ come out to play for needy

B.W. COOK

Childhelp USA raised more than $100,000 at its annual golf

tournament held at Strawberry Farms Golf Club, Irvine. Newport’s

sports celebrity Rich Saul, former all-pro offensive center for the

Los Angeles Rams, joined other local celebrities, including the very

popular former California Angel Doug DeCinces on the golf course.

The Orange County chapter of Childhelp USA is one of the largest

in the nation, raising enormous annual dollars to assist children

living in residential care facilities. Newport-Mesa dollars benefit

the Beaumont Childhelp facility.

The recent golf event was chaired by Patty McDonald and Debbie

Trout. Christine Bren, a dedicated Childhelp volunteer, reports that

substantial sponsor support for the tournament came from local

businesses, including Regal Entertainment, Edwards Theaters,

California Pacific Homes, Ganahl Lumber, Coca-Cola Fountain and

Fashion Island’s Gary’s and Co. Childhelp ladies working on the golf

event included Dorothy Bono, Kim Doud, Diana Miner, Nancy Rohan and

Childhelp Orange County chapter President Jana Shuler. The annual

Childhelp summer event known as Ferragosto will take over Fashion

Island on June 5, promising the best food and the liveliest music to

kickoff the summer season in Newport. For ticket information, stop by

Tutto Mare at Fashion Island or call co-chair Debra Violette at (949)

888-4423.

Corona del Mar’s resident movie star Kathy Thompson traded on her

celluloid image to play the most glamorous farmer for her annual

onion pilgrimage on behalf of Costa Mesa’s Share Our Selves.

It was the 10th anniversary luncheon started by Thompson to rally

local friends in support of the nonprofit Share Our Selves, providing

food, medical and dental care and financial aid to the local working

poor. Known as the Star Team, Thompson and friends have made an

annual financial commitment to the nonprofit that actually began more

than 17 years ago. Once a year the ladies gather at Five Crowns

Restaurant in Corona del Mar for what has come to be known as “The

Great Onion Giveaway.” Thompson gathers the sweetest of the sweet

onions from Imperial County and creates gift bags requiring more than

1,000 pounds of the onions to distribute to donors and friends. The

luncheon last week raised more than $25,000 for Share our Selves.

Money was raised from such generous citizens as Jim and Catherine

Emmi, Reed and Rita Sprinkel, Verna and Joe Degenhardt, Alice Blair

and Carol Fracalosy. Also supporting the Star Team onion luncheon

were Henry and Carol Schielein, Mike Russell, Nips Waters, April

Egbert and George Wentworth.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.