Diamonds are foundation’s best friend

B.W. COOK

It was an evening “Dripping in Diamonds.”

The Queen of Hearts Foundation, raising funds for ovarian cancer

research, gathered at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach for a

dazzling dinner fundraiser. A raffle drawing for a 2-karat,

heart-shaped diamond raised $20,000 for the cause.

The lucky winners were Katheryn and Bryan Baker. The raffle was

made possible by the generosity of Jane and Greg Hills and Wiley

Manering. Funds raised are earmarked for research by Robert Burger at

the UCI Medical Center/Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Attending The Pacific Club dinner were Greg Foster, Kim Baudette,

Cathy Greinke and Lori Hunter, all founding family members of the

organization dedicated to their late mother Ann Dobbie, who died of

ovarian cancer.

Newport’s most glamorous citizen, Elizabeth Vincent, a woman of

tremendous substance and style, joined family members and close

friends at The Center Club for a sentimental dinner honoring her 39th

birthday -- plus 51 years. Hosted by one of Vincent’s sons, Dwight

Spiers, the evening was highlighted by a private concert performed by

Broadway star Davis Gaines later in the evening at Orange County

Performing Arts Center’s Founder’s Hall.

One hundred VIP guests attended the birthday party, resplendent in

colors of lavender and orchid, decorated to suit Vincent’s elegant

taste. In the birthday crowd were Henry and Elizabeth Segerstrom,

Gayle Widyolar with beau David Scott, Patricia Poss and Elizabeth’s

favorite “gal pal,” our very own Hedda Hopper, Vesta Curry. The crowd

raised 100 glasses of champagne in a warm toast to long life and good

health to one of Newport’s finest ladies. They were surrounded by a

large family of children and grandchildren who were in attendance for

this very special night.

Sheriff Mike Corona was welcomed at Shady Canyon Golf Club for a

breakfast conference thrown by an organization called THINK Together.

The group of Orange County business leaders joined with Corona and

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to promote important

after-school programs to improve the quality of public education for

young citizens.

Sam Anderson, chairman of Hycor Biomedical Corporation and one of

the primary men behind the organization, said: “Over 30% of 150,000

students in Orange County are just learning English. These students

and others are struggling and need additional academic help.”

The THINK Together organization is working to support after-school

learning by providing financing for 12 educational sites in the

community. They hope to increase their presence to more than 50

sites, serving more than 8,000 local students by this coming fall.

Last year, reported Anderson, “The Samueli Foundation funded an

independent study which demonstrated that THINK Together students are

showing widespread improvement in both grades and test scores.”

Some of the men supporting the operation include Randy Barth,

founder of THINK Together, Matt Massengill, Jerry Dauderman, Glenn

Howard, Darrel Anderson and Ken Salgado. For more information about

THINK Together, please call (714) 543-3807.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.