Around Town: KOCI holds annual Christmas party
Local radio station KOCI/101.5 FM held its third annual KOCI Kids Christmas at the Costa Mesa Country Club Sunday, hosting more than 250 children and parents for holiday music, lunch, donated toys and a visit from Santa Claus.
“I can assure you, this will never get old,” said event coordinator Troy Davis, president of the KOCI Advisory Board. “We had an exceptional turnout this year and our restaurant partners and toy donors really stepped up to help our nonprofit radio station make this a memorable Christmas for so many in-need families.”
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Kaiser students collect toys for firefighter charity
Kaiser Elementary School students donated toys Wednesday — bought with their own money — to Costa Mesa firefighters, who will then donate them to Spark of Love, the department’s charity.
Children in third, fourth and sixth grade at the Costa Mesa campus donated more than 150 toys, valued at no more than $10, according to organizer and Kaiser third-grade teacher Patti Clark.
To get the money, the students cleaned dishes, folded laundry, took care of pets, took out the trash and even cleaned their rooms, Clark said.
“The students said it felt good to something nice for another child,” Clark wrote in an email. “The teachers were very thankful that the firefighters could make time to come by and collect the toys. It made the event more meaningful for the students.
“They also sat on the field and enjoyed pizza, thanks to the help of some helpful moms.”
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Alzheimer’s group gives holiday tips
The Alzheimer’s Assn. is presenting an educational teleconference from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday called “Holiday Tips for Caregivers: Manage Stress and Enjoy the Holidays.”
It is intended for families and caregivers who may need to adjust holiday traditions and expectations to accommodate the needs of someone living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
To register for the teleconference, contact Kelli Moorehead at kmoorehead@alz.org or (800) 272-3900.
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Newport to Ensenada adds shorter route
The Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, which takes boaters on an annual voyage from Newport Beach to Ensenada, Mexico, has introduced a shorter course for cruising and smaller racers for its 2016 event, scheduled for April 22.
The new 62-nautical-mile course will start in San Diego Harbor and merge into the main group of racers on the 125-nautical-mile trip from Newport.
“We’re looking forward to creating as inclusive an environment as we can to allow more boats to participate and enjoy the excitement, competition and camaraderie of overnight coastal racing,” Commodore David Shockley of the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn., said in a statement.
The 2015 Newport to Ensenada race had 225 entrants. Organizers hope to draw more than 300 boats next year.
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Bahia Corinthian club names commodore
Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Newport Beach has named Sandy Mills as its commodore for 2016.
Mills, a resident of Irvine, has been a member of the club for more than 35 years and a board member for 17 years.
As commodore, she will follow in the footsteps of her late husband, Doug, who was commodore in 1996.