The Crowd:

The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, Newport Beach, welcomed an upbeat and overflow crowd in support of Canyon Acres Children and Family Services. The recent Saturday evening soirée began with a cocktail reception followed by a gourmet dinner, dancing and auction, which helped bring in significant money. The overall event raised more than $260,000 from some 250 guests.

Canyon Acres President Clete Menke welcomed the crowd and introduced event Chairs Mary and Patrick Dirk, Carol Eastman, and Sofia and Jim Riley. Also front and center for Canyon Acres was the philanthropic Harald Herrmann, president and chief operating officer of Yard House Restaurants.

“We are thankful to all of our supporters,” said Tim Bauer, vice president of Canyon Acres. “With your help we can continue to provide homes, care, treatment and supportive services for abused, neglected and emotionally troubled children and their families.”

Some of the major sponsors of the evening included the Troy Group Inc., Gemini Industries, and the Yard House. Individual sponsors included Carl Neisser, Kelly Kelly, Dennis and Carol Eastman, Gary and Erin Lastinger, and many more. Canyon Acres assists more than 250 children each day. The organization was founded in 1980. For more information call Kristine Peters at (714) 385-5272.

Daniel Sussman opened his Shady Canyon, Irvine, estate to friends of Laura’s House for an evening of casino night revelry which organizers labeled as “A Night of a Thousand Chances.” Seven4One of Laguna Beach catered the affair as champagne and wine flowed and specialty martinis were mixed. Close to $10,000 was raised from casino night with all ticket sales and silent auction proceeds going directly to Laura’s House, a residential shelter for women and children. Spotted in the crowd were executive director of Laura’s House Margaret Bayston, Karen and Wayne Pinnell, board chairman, Mike and Brenda Zalke, and Casey and Tim Wolin.

It was a grand night at the Orange County Performing Arts Center last week as “Tour de Force: A Gala Dance Spectacular” premiered in Segerstrom Hall. The evening of dance was a culmination of five days of dance events that included the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Mariinsky Theatre, Berlin State Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the National Ballet of Canada and many other performance groups. Critics and audiences were thrilled with the entire dance program.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center has gained a national reputation as a California magnet for the finest dance in the world. Prior to the performance, Center President Terry Dwyer hosted a private dinner for VIP guests, sponsors and local dignitaries. In the crowd were Gene and Ruth Ann Moriarty, daughter Jeanne Moriarty, son Richard Moriarty with Loren Blackwood, Glorya Kauffmann and George Darby, Elizabeth An, Mary and Richard Cramer, Mary and Tim Harwood, Sharon and Bruno Lebon, Carolyn and John Garrett, George and Terry Schreyer, and Pat and Charlie Poss to name only a few.

Luncheon at the Center Club, Costa Mesa last week welcomed a VIP crowd to introduce Orange County to a remarkable collaboration between the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Organizers called the gathering “Ancient Paths/ Modern Voices,” inasmuch as the artistic collaboration set to debut this fall will celebrate Chinese culture and the performing arts. The unique partnership, which has never been done, will bring programs from Carnegie Hall to Orange County thanks to an alliance between Orange County’s Henry Segerstrom and Dean Corey and Clive Gillinson, who is the executive and artistic director for Carnegie Hall. A dim sum champagne luncheon was served to the crowd followed by a piano performance by a 10-year-old boy named Mark destined to be one of the great musicians of the coming generation. Also on hand was internationally renowned Pipa virtuoso, Wu Man.

Three very dedicated and focused women, Beth Bidna, Betsey Dougherty and Nevona Shabtai, will accept “Women Of The Year” honors tonight at a reception and dinner ceremony thrown by Newport’s Temple Bat Yahm. The three women are being honored for their service to the temple as well as the community at large in this special annual evening of recognition.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.