THE CROWD:Two extraordinary men honored in Newport

It was an evening of passion and purpose. Newport Beach therapist, radio talk show host and spiritual guru John Jolliffe and his wife Cheryl opened their Dover Shores residence for a Wednesday dinner gathering that was a roundtable of both intellectual and emotional connection, a journey to an important level of social interaction that is rare in society today.

It is ironic that the advantage of using social interaction to learn and to grow is often overshadowed by the superficial aspects of our materialistic world. That is why, in part, society hungers for a connection that is substantial and fills the emotional void that so many people suffer from. Now I sound like the therapist instead of our host, John Jolliffe.

The purpose of the gathering was to introduce a diverse crowd of local people to two remarkable men. Jim MacLaren, the former Yale University football star and drama student who aspired to become a Hollywood film actor, had his life altered in New York City when he was hit by a bus and left for dead while running a marathon in Manhattan. Police at the accident chalked the outline of his motionless body. MacLaren was rushed to the hospital near death and miraculously survived but lost his leg. Undaunted, MacLaren spent years rehabilitating himself, ultimately becoming one of America’s foremost disabled marathon runners. But tragically, this motivated and inspired man was running another marathon only to be hit by a car, thrown into a pole and paralyzed from the neck down.

As a result of MacLaren’s impressive will to survive and move forward with his life, publicity on his tragedy reached all the way to Ghana. A young man named Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah had been born with a deformed leg. In the rural villages of this African region, children born with birth defects were commonly taken out to the fields and left to die. They were considered a curse from the Almighty. Yeboah, now 30 years old, was a potential victim of societal prejudice. His mother protected him from this fate; she carried him everywhere in spite of the constant glare of her community until Yeboah reached the age of 12 or 13, when she could no longer carry him. For the next several years, he hopped on one leg to get wherever he needed to go, including several miles to and from the local village school. Yeboah refused to compromise his will, fighting the prejudice of his society at every turn, from the soccer field to the classroom to the town square. MacLaren’s story would change his life.

Yeboah’s body was strong, but his mind was even stronger. If Jim MacLaren, the American athlete, could overcome two horrific experiences, then so could he. Yeboah became Ghana’s star athlete runner and a shining example of a positive light overcoming the darkness of thousands of years of ignorance. His path would take him around the world. He was lauded by presidents, kings and potentates. He made a film, “Emmanuel’s Gift,” inspiring millions of people. Then, two years ago, Jim MacLaren and Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah were awarded the Arthur Ashe ESPN Courage Award, presented on international television by Oprah Winfrey. Today, Yeboah is a worldwide ambassador for people with disabilities and is planning to run for parliament in Ghana. MacLaren, who lives in La Jolla, is a motivational speaker and life coach, addressing large groups as well as individuals on the power of the human spirit.

John and Cheryl Jolliffe invited these two remarkable men to dinner and served a meal of Middle Eastern delicacies to a gathering that included Steve Oedekerk, Hollywood writer and director responsible for blockbuster comedic films including “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” starring Jim Carrey; Costa Mesa restaurateur Antonio Cagnolo; renowned sports broadcaster Ross Porter and his wife, Lynn; Rick Reef, associate editor of the Orange County Business Journal; and Dan Schorndorfer, president and creator of the Free Wheelchair Mission and nominee for the Readers’ Digest Hero of the Year honor. Also in the crowd and assisting her parents with hosting duties was the beautiful Lauren Jolliffe, who recently became engaged to a South American attorney and shared this good news with all in attendance.

The crowd sampled the grilled vegetables and marinated olives and peppers, and skewers of grilled chicken, and then took their dinner into the living room of the Jolliffe residence, where a video was shown of the ESPN awards featuring MacLaren and Yeboah with Oprah Winfrey. Following the presentation, both men made a brief address and then opened up the room for discussion and questions.

Everyone in the room shared in the awesome presence of two beams of light who sent a message that despite everything, life is precious and it must be treated as such. “I have learned never to ask why,” Jim MacLaren said. He went on to say that “why” is a word that is not in his vocabulary but instead has been replaced with “how,” as in, “How can I make things better? How can I find a new avenue? How can I change my course and reach a different goal?”

It was a very special evening in Newport Beach.