The Crowd:

It was back to basics as the Great Park Conservancy hosted its fourth annual “Jewel of Orange County” event July 18. Donor Joan HalvajianJoan Halvajian, representing the Halvajian Desert Nursery, announced a contribution of 5,000 citrus trees that will be donated to the Orange County Great Park. The citrus trees were grown specifically for the park at the Halvajian Desert Nursery in Thermal and will be planted in what will become a 20-acre citrus orchid in what will be known as the Great Park Community Farm. It is the largest planting of orange trees in Orange County in more than 30 years. Back to the basics, the county was founded on orange trees and other agrarian fields and now despite all our technological, industrial and real property growth, we have come full circle.

The fourth annual evening on the grounds of what will become the Great Park began with a cocktail and hors d’ oeuvres reception in historic Hanger 244, previously a part of the old air base. Party planners created a signature cocktail for the evening, which they called “The Orange County Zinger.” The crowd of some 300 Great Park supporters mingled, getting up close and personal with Great Park Conservancy Director Teddie Ray and a contingent of Orange County “who’s who” including Tom and Marilyn Neilson, Donna and Doug Neff, Conservancy Chairwoman Marian Bergeson and her husband, Garth Bergeson, Frank Barbaro, Steven Choi, Donna and Rich Cohn, Mitch Kleinman, John and Monica Sullivan, Michael Ray and Janet and Walkie Ray.

The cocktail reception was decorated with a selection of the future orchard of orange trees beautifully displayed and decorated with a bounty of fresh oranges at the base of each live tree. After a “Zinger” or two, the crowd then left the hanger and went outside. Dinner was served at long picnic tables draped in white linen and festooned with verdant baskets of fresh citrus.

The meal was served family style with large platters of fresh salads, the ingredients of which were all organically and locally grown. The entree was a selection of grilled chicken and fish served as the crowd table hopped and listened to brief speeches on the progress of the Great Park project. Also in attendance were Great Park Corporation Directors Larry Agran, Peggy Goldwater Clay and her husband, Bob Clay, Beth Krom, Bill Kogerman, and, representing Lennar’s staff, Bob Santos, Lynn Joachim, Kevin Hansen and Carol Wold. For more information and status of the Great Park, go to www.jeweloc.com.

Earlier in the social season, Boy’s Hope/Girl’s Hope held its 15th annual Golfer’s Classic at the Santa Ana County Club. Newport’s Robin Sinclair says the golf tournament, the organization’s most important fundraiser of the year, raised more than $230,000 for the charity. Major sponsors of the Golfer’s Classic included Roger Kirwan and the Kirwan Family Foundation, the J.W. Mitchell Company LLC, Benjamin and Carmela Du, Heidi Hall, Steve Guzowski, and Team Morrison. Boy’s Hope/ Girl’s Hope Chairman Mitch Shatzen and his wife, Shelley, were on hand to thank the generous supporters. Boy’s Hope/ Girl’s Hope of Southern California provides family homes and scholarships for education through college to at-risk children who have suffered from some form of domestic upheaval. Their motto is, “we offer homes, opportunities, positive parenting and education.”

Florence Schumacher, known to legions of friends and admirers as Floss, died July 17 in Morro Bay. She had moved to Orange County with her husband, Ed, and two children, Anne and Mark, in 1964 when Ed established the international headquarters of Global Van Lines in this region. Floss Schumacher was part Auntie Mame, part Leticia Baldridge, and non-stop female, whirlwind of positive energy and boundless love for the community.

Ed and Floss were among the initial donors launching the Orange County Performing Arts Center and for more than three decades they were passionate about the promotion of cultural growth in Orange County supporting the Philharmonic Society, the Pacific Symphony, Angels of the Arts, and especially Floss’ great love of Opera Pacific and the Pacific Chorale.

In December 2006 she was honored with the Pacific Chorale’s “Lifetime Achievement for the Performing Arts Award,” which was among many accolades bestowed upon Floss Schumacher over a lifetime of giving.

Additionally, they were very involved with the Newport Beach Art Museum, which became the Orange County Museum of Art and perhaps most importantly with the UC Irvine Brain Imaging Center.

Floss Schumacher is survived by her son Mark, granddaughters Andria and Heather and a large and loving group of extended family and friends.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.