Hearts in the right place

BARBARA DIAMOND

Hearts of Montage raised more than $21,000 Sunday for victims of the

South East Asia tsunami in December.

“We are grateful for the way the community responded,” said Chris

Loidolt, Montage Business Center manager and a Hearts of Montage

member. “We had more than 300 reservations as of noon Saturday and we

prepared for more than 500. I was delighted, but not surprised. I

have lived in Laguna a long time and I know how compassionate the

community is.”

Close to 500 people attended the event, put on by the Hearts of

Montage, an employee volunteer group. Montage employee Julia Duffy

coordinated the estimated 75 volunteers who worked the fundraiser.

“All off the clock,” Duffy said.

The event, held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Aliso Inn and Golf

Course -- still called Ben Brown’s by many locals -- featured a round

of golf, box lunches, complimentary face painting and handwriting

analysis, live entertainment by MG Music and singer Joanne Kurman,

children’s activities and a silent auction. Guests parked at the

Aliso Creek lot and were shuttled to the golf course.

Thurston Middle School students Lexie Ross and Allie Baker sold

Sweet Treats they made and packaged for the event, part of a school

program to foster community service.

“We were each given $20 to come up with a philanthropic project,”

Baker said. “We bought the ingredients and made everything.”

Everything included fudge, toffee and chocolate cupcakes.

“All our proceeds will go to the Red Cross,” said Ross,

granddaughter of Beverly Farrier, Montage Catering and Conference

Services administrative assistant, who raised her four children in

Laguna Beach, including Ross’s mother, Lynn.

Golf clubs in Tustin, Santa Barbara and Pelican Hill got into the

swing of things with donations to the silent auction.

Local artists John Barber, Cynthia Britain, Ken Auster and Olivia

Batchelder donated works of art. Redfern Gallery contributed bronze

sculptures by Carole Allernon and Mark Rossi, a Craftsman table and a

painting by Gregory Hull. The Surf & Sand and the Ritz-Carlton

donated hotel stays. Coyote Grill, French 75, the Loft at Montage and

Las Brisas gave dinners or gift certificates.

A stay at the Montage drew the highest bid of the auction.

Admission to the fund-raiser was $50 per family of five, $5 more

for each additional person. Golf was $25 a round Sunday, when 156

golfers played, to Wednesday.

Estimated golf fees of $8,000 from Monday to Wednesday will be

added to the $21,000 already raised, all of it to be donated to the

relief fund.

“We are here because my brother lives in Thailand and we were

looking for a charity for relief,” South Laguna resident Bonnie

Burchette said.

Tom Magan and his 82-year-old mother, Marcella, a noted painter of

china, attended the event because he admires how Montage handles

events.

“I was at the opening picnic and it was done well so when I see

Montage -- I figure it’s got to be good,” Magan said.

Lindsay Tognetti and John “some times I get called Mr. Tognetti”

Keith went in support of the relief effort and to golf.

Tognetti said it was an opportunity to golf on the course, which

she loves, but doesn’t get to play as often as she would like.

“This is just a good cause and a very enjoyable event,” said Arch

Beach Heights resident Tom Walsh, cradling his 18-month-old son Matthew, with daughter Thea, 4, seated between them and mom, Staci.

Michael and Carrie Reynolds of North Laguna were drawn to the

event by the combination of the cause and the prestigious sponsor.

“It allowed us to experience the Montage in a less high brow way,”

she said. “It’s unique.”

John Mansour, vice president of Athens Group, and his wife, Lisa,

and their three daughters, Chloe, 9, Tessa, 7, and Isabel, 5, brought

Three Arch Bay neighbors Kerry and homegrown Bentley Chelf and their

daughters Morgan, 12 and Madison, 10 to the picnic.

Athens developed Montage, and is a partner with the resort owners.

Also in the crowd: Montage General Manager James Bermingham, Rick

Jenkins and Carol Pugh, who became engaged the night before; Verlaine

Crawford, Chamber of Commerce executive; Bill and former Mayor

Kathleen Blackburn, Carol Eckel of South Laguna, Jenny Knauer, 1999

Laguna Beach High School graduate and winner of the David Loidolt

Memorial Scholarship and her mother, Jackie Knauer;

MORE DINNERS

A second course of Dinners Across Laguna was served Saturday to

benefit Friendship Shelter. All told, guests were welcomed into 14

homes this year.

Hosts included Elaine and Adrian Kuyper; Mike Smithers, Joe

Delaney, Joy and Tom Dittberner, Sue Freeman and John Hancock, Paola

and Richard Bisson; Stephanie and Bob Mister; Barbara and Greg

McGillivray, Stephanie and Kevin Donavan, Bruce Dwyer, Jany and

George Gade; Al Roberts and Ken Jillson, Ilene Glassman and Michael

Kwiatkoski, Donna and Dan Vigil; Marlene and Terry Baker, Ketta and

Jeb Brown, Elizabeth and Marshall Ininns, Mary and Dan Shapero,

Lynnette Braunstein; Lauren and Richard Packard, Nancy and Michael

Myer; Kathy and Jim Conrad; Martha and Tom Davis, Lauren and Paul

Card, Debbie and Jeff Mulligan; George Weston and Binnie Beaumont;

Ellin and the Rev. Colin Henderson.

Dave Sanford and Steve Dotoratos hosted a dinner for 23 on Jan. 22

because they had a date with Chamber of Commerce Saturday.

Among the donors, without whom the dinners could not be held:

Splashes, Sun Dried Tomato, Cedar Creek Inn, Savoury’s Partner’s

Bistro, Romeo Cucina, Mark’s and Stargazer caterers, Brio Tuscany

Grill, Mangia Bene, Trader Joes’s, Sage, San Shi Go, Grace Bakery and

Sunflower bakeries, Bayside, The Health Emporium, Gelato Paradiso,

Zinc Cafe and Royal Thai.