THE CROWD:Barons of Orange County go Hollywood

How does dinner for two aboard the Goodyear Blimp sound as it floats over the L.A. basin?

Perhaps you would prefer a private dinner — catered by the legendary Pascal Olhats — for 35 of your nearest and dearest, aboard one of the fabulous yachts in the Newport Harbor.

OK, if that’s not grand enough, how about your own personal tour of the Paso Robles wine country?

If any of these little diversions sound appealing, you should have been at the eighth Orange County Barons’ Ball last weekend in Newport Beach to bid at the auction.

Perhaps you were there, along with 800 of your fellow O.C. residents passionate about fighting cancer. The big event unfolded at the Newport Dunes Resort; it is the major Orange County fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Chaired by Debbie and Gary Douglas of Newport Coast, the Saturday evening bash raised more than $425,000 for the fight against cancer. “”Gary and I felt that by giving back to the community through this extraordinary event, we could help defeat cancer,” Debbie Douglas said.

In past years, the barons’ ball was known as the Cattle Barons’ Ball. It all began in Texas in the 1970s, when TV shows such as “Dallas” were the national rage.

In just 25 years, the cattle barons’ ball has grown into a national event, produced in cities across America. This year, the slight refocus was widened, enabling local branches of the American Cancer Society to flex a little muscle and expand the creativity of the party.

The Newport crowd went Hollywood as a result. Organizers presented “Legends of Hollywood: O.C. Goes Hollywood to Cure Cancer.”

Paparazzi flashed as patrons entered via red carpet. Look-alikes had a field day playing with patrons, including major donors Paul and Daranne Folino, Kent and Trina Barkouras, David and Kristine Heil and honorary co-chairs of the evening George and Julia Argyros. Local social standout Gloria Zigner even played Hedda Hopper.

Dinner included the original recipe for Chasen’s Chili, one of the wonderful old Hollywood favorites. Carmen Miranda’s Tropical Cascade with cilantro lime infusion was also sampled, along with Charlie Chan’s assorted mini egg rolls. For dessert, Lana Turner’s mini chocolate sundaes were a hit.

Cancer statistics in Orange County report that some 11,000 residents will be diagnosed with various forms of the disease in 2007.

Of the $425,000 raised, the majority of funds will remain in the O.C., under the supervision of the American Cancer Society, which will offer patient services and cancer education programs to locals. A portion of the funds will go to national cancer research.

To learn more about the work of the American Cancer Society in Orange County, as well as nationwide, call Jennifer Horspool at (949) 567-0637, or e-mail her at jennifer.horspool@cancer.org.