Breath of life for charity at Balboa Bay Club

B.W. COOK

There are many citizens of the O.C. who care deeply about charitable

involvement. If I were to make a list of the Top 10, there is one Newport lady who would be included. She is Sue Hook, and cystic

fibrosis is the focus of her fight.

Last week in Newport Beach, Hook, her husband Dave and a ballroom

of some 500 patrons came together in their summer finery to fight an

ongoing battle with an insidious disease that literally steals the

breath away from children and young adults who are afflicted.

For the past 22 years, Hook and an extended family of fighters

have unceremoniously and humbly raised more than $5.1 million to fund

research.

The recent gala at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach

raised an additional and impressive $375,000 for the cause.

“This year, we presented our annual ‘Breath of Life’ award to

Allen Balik,” Sue Hook said.

“Allen has chaired our annual California winemaker’s culinary

evening, which reached the $1 million mark for C.F. this past May.”

Hook added that Balik has championed this wine event for 16 years.

Once again, radio personality Shawn Parr served as emcee and

auctioneer for the evening. B.J.’s Restaurant & Brewery gave a

$50,000 matching grant for all items auctioned. Nearly $130,000 was

bid in the auction.

A special Las Vegas holiday package with Barry Manilow at the Las

Vegas Hilton actually sold three times, bringing in more than $13,000

for cystic fibrosis research.

In the crowd were Bonnie Dawson and Chris Gunderson, Bill Baker,

Paul and Kerry Collick, Bob and Judy Burlingham, James and Diana

Dunne, Paul and Rachelle Gale, Ron and Pat Harris, and Bob and Linda

Losey.

Also supporting cystic fibrosis research were Ross and Maria

Meredith, Alex and Kerry Puchner, Danni Sun, Rene and Anna Vega, Mike

and Mary Zollman, and Bob and Caroline Waltos.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.