The Crowd:

More than 400 women descended upon the Island Hotel, Newport Beach, for a luncheon that raised $146,000 for the Orange County Chapter of Childhelp.

Diana Miner, president of the organization, joined fashion luncheon Chairwomen Pam Pharris and Nancy Whitlock in welcoming the crowd.

It had come for a high-spirited spring fashion show, presented by South Coast Plaza, and luncheon under a canvas tent.

“For more than 10 years South Coast Plaza has been by our side partnering in our endeavors for abused children,” Miner said.

The sold-out event welcomed very special guests, including Lois Lee, who received the Children’s Friend Award from Childhelp. Lee is the president of a rescue organization known as Children of the Night, which for three decades has helped to take off the streets children who resort to prostitution.

Her speech sent chills through the audience. People in attendance made audible gasps at the horrible statistics that seemed so far and away from the privileged life of the social crowd attending an upscale fashion luncheon at a swank hotel.

Also honored at the event were Rich and Eileen Saul for their three decades of service to Childhelp.

Rich Saul, a former NFL player for the Los Angeles Rams, joined his wife in expressing their heartfelt appreciation for being able to give back to the community by way of assisting desperate children in need.

Rich Saul, a devout Christian, made references to Biblical scripture concerning the importance of providing a loving and nurturing environment for children.

Childhelp, founded by Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, began after the Korean War.

The two former actresses, who were performing abroad in USO tours, recognized the desperate need of war orphans, many of whom were fathered by American service men and left behind without love and care.

Both women, also devout Christians, created Childhelp as a welfare agency to provide services to abused and abandoned children in accordance with their religious teachings and beliefs. In recent years, given the changing needs and demographics of child welfare situations, the organization has become a last resort for severely abused children of all backgrounds. In California, the major Childhelp facility is in Beaumont and was recently named in honor of the late entertainer Merv Griffin, who made a substantial bequest to the organization.

After the honors, the lights were lowered and the pulsating music of a fashion show delivered the latest spring designs from South Coast Plaza boutiques, including Bally, Brooks Brothers, David Yurman and Faconnable.

Fashion show producers under the able direction of Kathryn Glassmyer and Debra Gunn Downing created a double runway upon which the beautiful women and handsome men walked the catwalk.

And speaking of handsome male models, all dignity was thrown to the wind as women in the audience chose hooting and hollering as an appropriate sign of appreciation whenever the gentlemen walked the walk.

I wonder if it would be equally appropriate for men in attendance to display their favor over beautiful women, many sans undergarments on the parade route.

In an age of equality there are still many double standards in our lives, and not all of them are predictable.

Following the fashion show in the Island Hotel ballroom, the crowd gathered for a very social luncheon under the tent.

Childhelp committee members held court table hopping and sharing deserved pats on the back for a very successful fundraising event. Spotted in the crowd were Jacquie Casey, Patti Edwards, Dale San Filippo, Gina Van Ocker, Mary Allyn Dexter, Cathi Unvert, Lyn Landon and Katherine Meredith.

Also supporting Childhelp were Cleo Bluth, Kathy and John Slavik, Olivia and Howard Able, Lil and Bill Knight, Deborah Bridges, Leslie Cancellieri, Patricia Cranford, Pam Selber, Sandi Simon, Ruth Lewis, and Eve Kornyei. Best dressed women attending included Jean DeVries, Mary Kay Groff, Cyndi Harrell, Lee Healy, Sara Hinman, Victoria LeVasseur, Suki McCardle, Pamela Paul and Kim Newman of Bayshores.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.