Irrelevant Week relies on strong businesses

Alicia Robinson

Successful business owners don’t often dawdle in irrelevant matters,

but once a year many of them delve into irrelevant events for the

sake of charity.

Every year since 1976, Newport Beach has celebrated the last

player to be picked in the NFL draft and dubbed him Mr. Irrelevant.

This year, Irrelevant Week celebrates a local. Colorado State

University defensive end and linebacker Andre Sommersell, who

attended Estancia High School for his freshman and sophomore years,

was the last draft pick for 2004. He will play for the Oakland

Raiders.

Newport Beach resident and former NFL player Paul Salata founded

Irrelevant Week, which this year includes a trip to Disney’s

California Adventure, a parade and the centerpiece Lowsman-trophy

banquet.

Dozens of local businesses give time and money to Irrelevant Week,

and area charities reap the rewards. This year, proceeds from the

arrival party and banquet will go to causes including Hillview Acres

Children’s Home in Chino and Costa Mesa United, a citizen’s group

working to build a swimming pool at Costa Mesa High School and a

football stadium at Estancia High School.

Businesspeople who sponsor the week’s events said they like it

because it’s just plain fun.

“When I first heard about this thing when I transferred in here

two years ago, I thought, ‘What is this goofy thing?’” said Bill

Gunderson, general manager of the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel, which

hosts the banquet and donates accommodations for the week’s honoree

and his family.

“It’s a great community event, and it brings out a lot of the

community members,” Gunderson said.

More than 150 businesses donate gifts that are showered on Mr.

Irrelevant at an arrival party, which will be held tonight, and

restaurants donate food for various events, said Jim Dale, vice

president of major gifts for the Hoag Hospital Foundation. He has

been involved with Irrelevant Week since 1982 and is on the steering

committee this year.

When Dale first got involved, his family owned the Villa Nova

restaurant, which hosted some Irrelevant Week events.

“I think most people get involved because from a community

standpoint it’s a fun thing to do, and it’s a nice thing to do for

somebody,” he said.

A major financial supporter of Irrelevant Week this year, and in

years past, is Santa Ana-based First American Title Corp.

First American Chairman Emeritus Don Kennedy said it was Salata’s

magnetism that drew his support for Irrelevant Week.

The event is celebrating the last-picked NFL player rather than

demeaning him, and it’s a plus that the proceeds go to local

charities, Kennedy said.

“You have a good feeling when you give. It’s as simple as that,”

he said.The charitable aspect of the event has existed since its

inception, Irrelevant Week chief executive Melanie Fitch said. Over

the years the week’s proceeds have paid for Little League uniforms,

upgrading youth athletic fields and other tangible projects to

benefit young people.

“It’s things that we can actually touch or that we actually see

that benefit these guys,” Fitch said.

Because Costa Mesa athletic facilities will directly benefit

people in the community, it made for a perfect partnership with

Irrelevant Week, Costa Mesa United publicity chairman John Ursini

said.

“In true Irrelevant form, we are trying to find something so

irrelevant to put the money toward so that it will do Irrelevant Week

justice,” he joked.

For information on Irrelevant Week events, visit

https://www.irrelevantweek.com.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.