THE CROWD:

“No man loves his country more,” offered Peter Ueberroth, introducing his friend of more than 40 years.

Tom Brokaw, 21-year anchor and managing editor of the “NBC Nightly News” returned to Southern California last week to address cancer survivors who are dedicated to helping other victims and raising funds for research.

They call themselves the Circle 1000, and they support The Hoag Cancer Center at Newport’s Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

It was the 21st annual Circle 1000 Founder’s Brunch at the Costa Mesa Hilton Hotel.

More than 650 guests converged for a mid-morning confab raising $1.17 million for cancer treatment and research in the community.

Chaired by Karen Linden with support from founding chairwoman Sandy Sewell and underwriting chairwoman Kerry Barth, the event was dedicated to the late Gail Kirwan.

“Gail has left a legacy of compassion, philanthropy, and friendship,” offered Linden in a heartfelt tribute to Kirwan, who battled cancer for 12 years until her recent passing. The Kirwan family, including husband, Roger,and children, Nicole and Sean,were front and center in honor of Gail, making a $50,000 gift to Circle 1000 in her memory.

Founded in 1988, Circle 1000 is one of Newport-Mesa’s charitable organizations that has a direct relationship with patrons. Each year, prior to the introduction of the distinguished speaker, cancer survivors in the audience are asked to stand.

Every table has multiple individuals rise. The message is very clear: Cancer touches everyone. Since its inception, more than $9.4 million has been raised by those standing as well as those seated, to make a difference.

Brokaw resonated feelings of purpose as he told the crowd, “In this room there are resources, and there is determination. This is not true across all of America.

“The time has come to confront, deliver and pay for health care that should be available to the wealthiest and to the poorest members of society.”

Brokaw did not offer specific solutions. He was, however, passionate in stating, “The physical health of our people, if neglected, will weaken the infrastructure of our society. The failure to create an acceptable national health-care policy is unacceptable.”

“I have eight physicians in the family,” Brokaw continued. “Our daughter is an emergency room doctor in San Francisco, and when I see her it is not merely a visit but an examination,” said the erudite newsman who first moved to Southern California in 1966.

Brokaw waxed nostalgic on his salad days in the San Fernando Valley. He and his wife met the Ueberroth family, who have become lifelong friends, sharing sun-filled days off around the small backyard swimming pool with young children at play.

“California is the can-do state. This is the place where dreams are realized. It doesn’t matter what your family pedigree is, or what school you attended, or what country you came from,” said Brokaw relating his thoughts back to working for a cancer cure. “We have lost too many friends to cancer. We have the will, the resources, and the moral obligation to fix health care,” he said adding, “This challenge pales in comparison to those experienced by previous generations in America.”

Major sponsorship of the brunch came from Helen and Bill Close, and daughter Debbie Millar spotted in the crowd. Carmela and Ben Du, Lido’s elegant Margaret Larkin and husband, Thomas Larkin, Jr., Jackie Glass, Marge and Jeff Lewis, Jean Bellwood, Susan Bartlett, Edouard de Limburg, Sue and Larry Werner, Judith Swedlund and Tara and Michael Shapiro were all front and center for Circle 1000.

Long-time dedicated sponsors also making a difference included Arden Flamson attending with daughter-in-law Billie Flamson, P.J. Burke, Elaine and Hunter Keck, Lula Halfacre, Richard and Sally Afable, Lin Auer, Hyla Bertea, Barbara Bowie, Lynette and Richard Berg, Jody and Scott Burnham, Sue Gross, Dee Highby, Melinda and Tony Moiso, Mary Buckingham, Anna Cleveland, Don Crevier, Pinkie and Dennis Terry, and Kim and Richard Nicholson to name only a selected few.

As the audience rose, applauding Brokaw, he challenged the room to, “Re-enlist your effort to crate your own legacy to eradicate cancer, to solve our health care crisis. It is not impossible. Remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... ‘To take on great causes, we must have great ideas.’”

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.