Luncheon to laud outstanding philanthropists

Dane Grace

Philanthropy is alive and well in Orange County, and on Wednesday an

organization that promotes it will recognize a mixture of local

organizations and people at the 19th annual National Philanthropy Day

celebration.

The Assn. of Fundraising Professionals luncheon and award ceremony

at the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove will recognize more than 100

nominees, including honorees in seven “Outstanding” categories

ranging from youth to corporate philanthropy.

This year’s “Outstanding Philanthropist” is the husband-and-wife

team of Roger and Gail Kirwan of Newport Beach, who have turned their

success back to the community and found a sense of fulfillment in

their charity work.

The Kirwans are involved with Boys Hope Girls Hope, the Orange

County Performing Arts Center, Our Lady Queen of Angels Church,

Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and Gail Kirwan serves on the boards of

Hoag Hospital and the Opera Pacific.

Roger Kirwan said he and his wife love the local art community,

and he joked that he likes not having to drive to Los Angeles to

enjoy it.

“The pleasure of seeing a new church being built or a new concert

hall being constructed and knowing that you had a small hand in that

-- it’s like the MasterCard ad that some things are priceless,”

Kirwan said.

A board of judges, which varies from high school students to

groups like the Red Cross, selected entries for each of the seven

categories: outstanding philanthropist, volunteer, youth volunteer

group, corporation or business with more than 500 employees, small

business or corporation with less than 500 employees and founder.

“It’s a variety of people -- a selection of the community at

large,” said Jane Hansen, media chairperson for the Orange-based

chapter of the association.

Hansen said amazing stories are behind each philanthropist, but

Stacy Motenko, 18, of Huntington Beach, is particularly striking.

Doctors diagnosed Motenko with cystic fibrosis as an infant and

didn’t expect her to live to see her 18th birthday, which she

celebrated this year. She is a speaker and fundraiser for the Cystic

Fibrosis Foundation, and she recently graduated from high school as a

National Honor Society scholar.

“She’s been a very strong advocate and spokesperson to cure cystic

fibrosis,” Hansen said of Motenko. “She’s just been amazing.”

Orange County has more than 5,595 nonprofit charity groups,

according to the association. During 2000, the financially active

groups brought in more than $4 billion.

Though only seven nominees will be individually recognized for

their contributions at Wednesday’s event, the Assn. of Fundraising

Professionals -- an organization with 26,000 members and 172 chapters

spread across the United States, Canada, Mexico and China -- does not

call the recognized individuals and groups “winners” but instead

chooses to identify them as “outstanding nominees.”

“We feel that everyone nominated is a winner,” Hansen said.

“Because really, all the stories and all the work is significant.”