THE CROWD:

It’s part carnival, part adult grad night, and all about raising money to fight cancer. The 2008 OC Barons’ Ball unfolded Oct. 18 under a big top erected in the western parking lot of South Coast Plaza.

Organizers called the event “A Ten Gallon Tribute, Celebrating A Decade of Progress.” More than 1,000 guests wearing everything from blue jeans to black tie, descended upon the evening of festivities in great spirits ready to fight cancer and have a wonderful time doing it. Sharon Esterley of Newport Beach joined Anne Moore of Dove Canyon chairing the massive undertaking that honored two very special Newport Beach residents, Bobbitt and Bill Williams. Funds raised over the past decade are expected to reach the $5-million mark benefiting the American Cancer Society.

“Like everyone we know, we have had personal experience with cancer in our family and among our friends. My husband and I have a strong commitment to fighting cancer in memory of those we have lost and in honor of the brave survivors,” Esterley said.

Esterley’s husband, Ron Rubino, is president of the Orange County Barons’ League of the American Cancer Society.

Guest of honor Bobbitt Williams, one of Newport’s classiest ladies, a role model for younger women entering the social strata on the California Riviera, commented, “I have volunteered for the American Cancer Society for close to 30 years. I have lost many people I love to cancer including my brother, and I realized that I was not going to be a doctor or someone who would do research to find a cure, but I could raise money.”

Williams co-chaired the first Barons’ Ball a decade ago with Barbara Steinberg and has been at the forefront of support ever since with her husband, Bill, also very much involved in the effort. The Williamses were major sponsors of the big party, joining a host of other Newport-Mesa residents, including Paul and Daranne Folino, Randy and Anne Moore, Ellen and Don Goodwin, Trina and Kent Barkouras, Steve Sherwood, the Scriba family, and Rubino and Esterley.

The OC Barons are a support group consisting of 100 volunteers who put on the annual gala to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The event has plenty of Western flavor, with many of the guests donning their best cowboy boots and 10-gallon hats. The theme was accentuated by performances by the OC Barons’ dance hall girls and plenty of high-kicking country music under the big top.

The pig races were a hit, with a favorite pig named by Newport’s Zee Allred, lovingly christened Zee pig. Kevin O’Grady and Nella Webster named their racing pig Boar Market. Arnold Ziffel was in the race, named by Grant Freedman with a nod to the classic “Green Acres” character. And perhaps best of all, Barry and Karen Meguiar, the car-polish kings of Newport, named their racing pig Praise the Lard.

The complimentary Ketel One martini bar was very busy all night, serving cosmopolitans, appletinis and dirty martinis while patrons wagered “Barons’ bucks” at gambling tables, played games on virtual race car machines, participated in a wine toss and tried their best shot at golf putting.

Between dancing in the Red Rock Lounge to the sounds of the Kelley Rae Band, the crowd bid on the massive silent auction and sampled Mexican food provided by Soiree Catering and Event Planning set up at buffet stations around the tent. When the pig races ended, a woman in the crowd asked a handler what made them run so fast around the track. He replied, “They know that there is an Oreo cookie waiting for them at the finish line. I guess they really like Oreos.”

The community has rallied around the OC Barons, dedicated to making a difference in the fight against cancer. A month before the big Saturday night bash, organizers and major sponsors were invited to a cocktail reception at Five Crowns Restaurant in Corona del Mar. Sipping Chardonnay in the Five Crowns garden and sampling a delicious assortment of hors d’oeuvres including the restaurant’s famous roast beef served on mini-sourdough rolls with the obligatory horseradish, some good news was shared with the crowd.

Ball co-chairs thanked donors and the generous people at Five Crowns for their support and told the gathering that cancer deaths in the U.S. are dropping. For the second year in a row, statistics shared that the deaths are down. Research and medical treatment is making a difference. However, in Orange County alone, it is expected that some 10,600 people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2008 with about 4,000 deaths expected from the disease.

On a national level, the American Cancer Society has invested more than $3 billion in research. In California last year, some $16 million went to local research programs. The OC Barons’ Ball is a significant fundraising arm, which contributes to the goal of saving lives. For more on the Orange County division of the American Cancer Society, call (949) 477-0340.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.