No passing up this opportunity

B.W. COOK

Former USC star and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson

Palmer, who’s also an O.C. native son, came back to Newport Beach

recently to make a bet with Mercedes mogul Fletcher Jones Jr.

Palmer bet Jones that if he could throw a football over the top of

the Mercedes dealership, clearing the satellite vehicle facility

Jones calls “Stuttgart West,” then Jones would write a check for

$1,000 to help the children served by a nonprofit organization called

“Hillview Acres,” a favorite charity of the former Heisman Trophy

winner. Palmer threw, and Jones wrote a check in the perfect

publicity stunt to help kids at the 24-hour residential treatment

center and foster-care agency.

In another local act of kindness, across town in Costa Mesa, a

group of terminally ill children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation had

quite a day at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant, helping prepare

“the world’s largest strawberry shortcake.” Maggiano’s chef Kevin

Gilbert gathered the ingredients and the children to create the

6-foot-diameter cake.

“The sweet event marked the culmination of a six-week fundraising

campaign held at Maggiano’s restaurants across the nation that raised

$101,516 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation,” restaurant publicist Frank

Groff said.

At Fashion Island, restaurateur David Wilhelm opened the doors of

his new “Rouge” French bistro and welcomed the ladies of the

Assessment Treatment Services Center for a luncheon. The chic crowd

of gals, known as “The Sophisticates,” filled the dining salon for a

mid-week confab to push their charitable agenda. The gathering began

with a champagne reception, followed by a three-course French meal

and a fabulous fashion show from Neiman Marcus.

Event chairs were Newport’s Kathie Porter and Denice Mock.

Sophisticates president Karen Elliot was on hand to meet and greet,

supported by Debbie Newmeyer, Susan Becker and a host of

sophisticated ladies including Donna Anderson, Yolanda Biewers,

Leslie Cancellieri, Judi Jacobs, Rose Remy, Ann Stern, Carol Wilhelm

and Shirley Nagel.

JAZZ BY THE BIRDS

The Hoag Hospital Sandpipers are busy with the final preparations

for their upcoming Sept. 11 concert starring Michael Franks. The

eighth annual Sandpipers’ Jazz Concert will take place in the outdoor

amphitheater of the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. A VIP dinner will be

served before the concert. Tickets for dinner and the show are $150

per person with reserved concert seating. General admission tickets

(reserved seating) for the concert alone are $55. Call (949) 764-7212

for reservations.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.