Juniors make fashion dreams come true

B.W. COOK

The National Charity League Juniors’ Newport Beach Chapter presented

a glamorous fashion show and tea at the chic Four Seasons Resort in

Newport Beach.

It was the chapter’s 19th annual spring party, entitled “The Magic

of Dreams,” bringing together a fashionable and charitable crowd of

young ladies and their attractive mothers for a Saturday afternoon to

remember.

The day began with a silent auction at noon. Luncheon and tea was

served at 2 p.m., and a fashion show, underwritten by Saks Fifth

Avenue at South Coast Plaza, hit the runway following the tea.

Newport’s Leonie Lumpkin, president of the National Charity League

Juniors, welcomed the crowd and joined vice presidents and event

co-chairs Molly Davin, Merrin Jones and Carmella Phillips in helping

to make the day a success. Other ladies deserving mention for their

dedication include Alissa Janes and Stephanie Rados, co-chairs of the

massive silent auction.

Karen Cook, Kerry Barth, Darcia Schott, Maureen Madigan, Judith

Wattson, Lori Junkins, Stacy Kofoed, Krista Jajonie and Carolyn

Mangano also served the National Charity League Juniors in creating a

spectacular fashion show and tea.

More than $135,000 was raised to support the chapter’s charities,

including the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, the Harry and

Grace Steele Children’s Center at Orange Coast College and the High

Hopes Head Injury Program.

Some 450 philanthropic mothers and daughters attended the event,

which has a time-honored tradition of recognizing mothers and their

sixth-grade daughters who are involved in the National Charity League

Juniors. This year, a host of young ladies were recognized, including

Chelsea Barth, Morgan Boukather, Kathryn Conner, Andree Keith, Tilly

Lumpkin, Abigail McBean and Kendall Phillips.

Also honored at the luncheon was Kati Burke, who graduated and

moved on to the National Charity League Chapter.

The National Charity League Juniors’ Newport Chapter was founded

in 1962 as an auxiliary to the National Charity League.

The purpose of the Juniors is to initiate and promote charitable

endeavors and most importantly to “foster mother-daughter

relationships in philanthropic, cultural and social activities,”

according to Lisa McBean of the National Charity League Juniors.

Others supporting the League and the spring fashion event were Amy

Brach, Nora Storm, Tracy Gottlieb, Shawn Harris, Michelle Roth and

Debbie Jarecki.

As the fashion show began, the sixth-graders came in, wearing

matching pink T-shirts and jeans, to the sounds of “Do You Believe In

Magic?” The young ladies were joined by professional models from Saks

Fifth Avenue as the National Charity League Juniors girls quickly

changed into fashions provided by Ralph Lauren, Juicy and Monkey

Wear.

The crowd cheered for both the sixth-grade girls and the Saks

models, certainly making “The Magic Of Dreams” come true for one

brief moment on a Saturday in springtime.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.