Around Town: Locals treated to awards at Halloween fest
A Newport Beach woman and a Costa Mesa boy were among the award winners Sunday as the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa hosted contests for ghoulish talents, cars and costumes during the 18th annual Trick or Treat Festival.
Cheri Wilson of Newport Beach won the first-place trophy and a $75 El Torito gift card in the Frightfully Dead Costume Contest.
Alexander Grossman, 4, of Costa Mesa took third place and a $10 Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour certificate in the 6-and-younger division of the Scream Contest.
The all-day event during the weekend swap meet at the OC Fair & Event Center also included trick-or-treating, Day of the Dead dance performances, carnival side-show attractions, puppet making, magic shows and other Halloween activities.
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Company breaks forklift world record
BigRentz.com, an Irvine-based online company that provides construction equipment rentals, broke a Guinness World Record on Saturday.
In what organizers called the Passionately Pink Pallet Relay, BigRentz broke the record for passing a pallet between forklifts in a “precision maneuver that took over two hours to complete,” according to a news release.
It involved four forklifts driven by four BigRentz employees. Each drove 100 yards and then passed a pallet to another forklift without pausing or letting it touch the ground — 62 times.
The event at BigRentz’s offices on McGaw Avenue raised $5,000 for Susan G. Komen Orange County.
Dallas Imbimbo, co-founder and CEO of BigRentz, said in a statement: “We look for opportunities to give back to the community in ways that allow our employees to get involved beyond simply writing a check ... these activities support great organizations, and give our employees a bonding, team-building experience.”
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Living Success to hold benefit
The Living Success Center is having its annual benefit Nov. 7 in Costa Mesa.
The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Center Club, 650 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. The cost is $150 per person.
Guest speakers include Brian Cuban, author of “Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder.”
For more information, visit livingsuccesscenter.org.
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Mesa Girls Volleyball supports breast cancer awareness
Members of Costa Mesa High School Girls Volleyball raised over $400 selling socks for Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness. Proceeds will go toward breast cancer research.
The members will present this in check form to the Susan G. Komen foundation before the start of a varsity game at 5 p.m. at Costa Mesa High School on Thursday.
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Costa Mesa SWAT places at competition
Costa Mesa’s SWAT team recently placed fifth out of 25 teams competing at Aardvark’s tactical SWAT competition, held at the Prado Olympic Shooting Park in Chino.
Competitors ran a timed obstacle course with barriers and targets.
City officials noted that Costa Mesa ranked above other Orange County teams.
“The fifth-place ranking is [also] impressive because Costa Mesa police officers competed against much larger agencies with full-time SWAT programs versus our city’s part-time program,” said city spokesman Tony Dodero, adding that “this SWAT competition is a great development and team program that provides training benefits and allows officers to apply sound tactics on a regular basis.”
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CMPD receives grant
The Costa Mesa Police Department received a $150,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for a “year-long program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries,” according to a city news release.
The department will use the money “as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep our roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education,” said city spokesman Tony Dodero.
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Hoag foundation to hold its largest fundraising drive
The Hoag Hospital Foundation announced it is committing to raising $627 million by 2020 in a comprehensive campaign designed to improve healthcare in Orange County.
It is the foundation’s largest fundraising commitment in its 63-year history, according to foundation President Flynn Andrizzi.
The foundation already has given $328 million in gifts for medical facilities, research and other programs.