THE CROWD:

Bayshores residents David C. Henley and his wife, Ludie, were guests at a Los Angeles dinner honoring Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez. Henley, who happens to be also a brigadier general, serves as honorary consul of Uruguay.

The couple recently returned from South America, where they attended foreign office briefings and held meetings with senior Uruguayan diplomats.

Vazquez was formerly mayor of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, and also happens to be an accomplished oncologist who still practices medicine in addition to serving his nation as president.

Remarkable people seem to handle remarkable responsibility. Also attending the dinner was Frank Baxter, U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay, former Los Angeles resident and president of the L.A. County Museum of Art as well as vice chairman of the Los Angeles Opera.

Two of Newport’s most distinguished women, Elizabeth Stahr and Betty Mower-Potalivo, president of Northern Trust Bank, joined forces on behalf of the Girl Scouts of America.

The duo sponsored an event recently at Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa, attracting more than 250 guests and volunteers participating in a session designed to offer an urban adventure badge to young women taking part in the program.

By way of explanation, the urban skills included 10 unique activity stations that featured such challenges as sushi rolling, salsa dancing, global geography, fast driving and a putting contest. Sushi rolling was a big hit.

Participants and guests received special urban adventure sashes, to which they proudly pinned their urban adventure badges from each of the stations. The evening featured cuisine by Turnip Rose and dancing to the music of the Blues Racket Band and an assortment of entertainment highlights including folklorico dancers, dragon dancers and a Daion Taiko drummer — all part of the diversity of international urban life.

Major donors of the evening included Barbara and Bill Roberts of Newport Beach, Wendy and Fred Salter, Betty Mower-Potalivo and Northern Trust Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, The Irvine Company, The Capital Group Companies Inc. and Fluor Corporation.

The event netted $125,000 for Orange County Girl Scouts, almost doubling last year’s efforts.

Committee members deserving recognition included Aletha Anderson, Pam Bergey, Kathy Bronstein, Sue Burns, Terri Cagney Morrison, Peggy Goldwater Clay, Stacie Clifford, Jacquin M. Davidson, Jamie Fingal, Victoria Heidelman, Julie Hill, Irene Kinoshita, Ginger Kleerup, Joann Leatherby, Sally Molnar, Nella Webster O’Grady, Sue Parks, Lisa Perrine and Joanne Riopelle.

The 17th annual celebrity chefs dinner on behalf of Share Our Selves honored 14 outstanding local chefs.

The evening unfolded at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, attracting an overflow local crowd who came to support by participating in an exceptional five-course dinner paired with wines created by each of the participating chefs.

For those unfamiliar with the event, each chef creates an entire evening for his or her table. In effect, there are 14 different parties going on within the ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel, and guests are table hopping to see what’s happening.

Here are the numbers: 14 chefs, a committee of 23, 42 volunteers organizing the party, and 355 attendees coming together to net approximately $250,000.

Funds raised are earmarked for the SOS-sponsored Orange Aid project, which coordinates with local restaurants and grocery stores to collect and distribute food that helps to feed 200 families a day.

Honored guests of the evening were longtime volunteers Jane Muslin and Jean Sweet, who were both celebrating their 80th birthdays at the dinner.

Kathryn Ireland breezed into our Newport-Mesa neighborhood last week to visit Stonemill Design Center and sign copies of her new book for an admiring group of design-minded friends of Ann Dennis.

The noted A-list designer recently introduced a new collection of her signature paisleys, florals and tickings currently showcased at the Stonemill Design Center.

Ireland is famous for applying a bohemian twist to elegant traditional English and French designs, creating comfortable interiors for many of the unique homes regularly featured in interior design magazines.

The afternoon attracted locals Lynn Smith, Chrissy Gayner, Maryanna Jeppe, Michelle Postal, Brenda Fox Wilson, Jeanne Gerhardt, Kay Evans, Kellie Bernabeo and Julie Fisher.

Ireland designs for clients such as Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.