Around Town: Kids learn about animal therapy with ‘Glee’ cat
Children from the Laguna Beach Youth Shelter learned about animal therapy alongside a cat actor from the TV show “Glee” on Saturday.
Aragon the cat, known as Lord Tubbington on “Glee,” and his owner, CeCe Card, greeted residents of the shelter on Catalina Street.
Animal Planet filmed a segment for “Collar of Duty,” a 12-part documentary series about service animals, according to a news release.
Santa Ana-based Community Service Programs operates the shelter, which offers temporary housing for six children ages 11 to 17 who are at risk of homelessness, incarceration or hospitalization.
Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival coming to Costa Mesa
The annual Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival will return to Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park this weekend, offering pumpkin picking, face painting and other activities.
The festival, presented by Orange County Model Engineers and supported by other groups, will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Goat Hill Junction in the park.
The event also features a scarecrow contest, which costs $10 to enter.
The festival is free to attend, though some activities have a fee, according to an event flier.
For more information or for details on how to enter the scarecrow contest, visit ocmetrains.org or costamesahistory.org.
Edison High School to host Model UN competition
Students from Southern California will compete in Edison High School’s 32nd annual Advanced Model United Nations conference this weekend.
The competition, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, will include debates about real-world issues between students representing different countries.
Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.
Philanthropy Fair on Sunday in Corona del Mar
The Newport chapter of the National Charity League will participate Sunday in the annual Philanthropy Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. at Harbor Day School, 3443 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar.
All Ticktockers (daughters) and mothers in the chapter will participate in activities such as making blankets and collecting gift cards for philanthropies it supports.
Nonprofit to hold wine-tasting party in Laguna Beach
Tias Arms, a nonprofit founded by former Hoag Hospital nurse Joanne Baker, will hold a wine-tasting party from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at Mozambique restaurant in Laguna Beach. RSVPs will be taken until Sunday.
A selection of wines from South Africa and an assortment of hors d’oeuvres will be featured at the event, which will benefit children in South Africa.
Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at tiasarms.org/events or by mailing a check to Tias Arms, 3 Wild Goose Court, Newport Beach, CA 92663.
Mozambique is at 1740 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts helps schools become performance-ready
For the third year in a row, Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa has selected four Orange County elementary schools to participate in the Disney Musicals in Schools program.
The center has chosen Las Positas Elementary School in La Habra, Santiago Elementary School in Santa Ana and Riverdale and Mattie Lou Maxwell Elementary schools in Anaheim.
For the next several months, artists contracted with Segerstrom will work with each school’s students and teachers to help put on a Disney show at their campuses.
In March, the Segerstrom Center will host performances from the four schools’ musicals.
CdM High teacher nominated for national award
Corona del Mar High School English language and composition teacher Laura Holk was nominated by a former student for the 2016-17 national LifeChanger of the Year Award.
The national LifeChanger of the Year program, sponsored by the National Life Group Foundation, honors K-12 public and private school educators and employees across the United States, according to a release.
“Ms. Holk was my 12th-grade English composition teacher,” said Brian Dunn, who nominated Holk. “On a daily basis, I watched her find the middle ground between authority and friend in a way that connected her to students.”
The LifeChanger of the Year awards will be given to 15 people and a National Spirit Award will be given to the school that demonstrates the most support for its nominee.
The winner will be announced during a surprise award ceremony at each of the honorees’ schools.
OCC students get helping hand from Pimco founder and family
Pimco founder Bill Gross and his wife, Sue, donated $240,000 to the Orange Coast College Foundation to support programs for students pursuing career and technical education.
“Many of Orange Coast College’s [career technical education] programs fill a vital need in Orange County’s local economy for a skilled workforce and we’re excited to be a part of that,” said Sue Gross, president of the Gross Family Foundation. “However, for many students, limited financial resources hinder their ability to complete coursework and find employment.”
The donation will help establish a Sue and Bill Gross Scholars program at OCC.
LCAD to start two new degrees
The Laguna College of Art + Design plans to launch two new degree programs — a creative writing bachelor of fine arts in fall 2017 and a master of fine arts next summer.
Norm Leonard, a screenwriter, author and publisher, chairs the college’s BFA and MFA programs in creative writing.
“I’m excited to assist students and faculty to create rich, craft-driven explorations of writing that are as playful as they are earnest,” Leonard said in a statement.
Balboa Yacht Club to host annual CHOC Regatta
Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s Glass Slipper Guild plans its annual CHOC Regatta from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar.
The event will aid the guild’s $1-million pledge to the Hyundai Cancer Institute & Complementary Integrative Medicine Center, according to a news release.
In addition to boat racing, the weekend will include live music and children’s activities.
For more information about the Glass Slipper Guild, visit choc.org/giving/guilds/glass-slipper-guild.