Community & Clubs: Exchange Club to present Movie Night benefit
Newport Harbor Exchange Club will present its 25th Movie Night Thursday at the historic Lido Theatre.
A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the early release of a major motion picture at 7 p.m.
The pre-movie gala will offer an unlimited sampling of a variety of flavors. Eleven local restaurants will serve signature dishes, including Blue Water Grill’s clam chowder, Newport Rib Company’s pulled pork, beef and tri-tip sliders, and Woody’s Diner’s fruit cobbler and bread pudding. Beer and wine will be available for purchase, along with raffle tickets for a chance to win certificates for hotel stays, dining and more.
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The Newport Beach Police Cadets, an advanced group of Boy Scouts planning careers in law enforcement, will present the color guard. Exchange member and World War II veteran Deane Bottorf will lead the pledge of allegiance. USC student Caleigh Rae Wells will sing the national anthem. A live auction featuring police ride-alongs, dinners with firefighters and a ride aside Santa Claus in the Christmas Boat Parade is planned.
A yet-to-be-released major motion picture by Warner Brothers will be screened. Previous screenings have included James Bond films and “Captain Phillips.”
This is Newport Exchange’s biggest annual fundraiser. The club expects to raise as much as $70,000. Net proceeds benefit Exchange’s $54,000 scholarship program and the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center (CAPC).
Each year Exchange grants 18 Newport-Mesa graduating seniors a $3,000 scholarship. Ten are awarded to students participating in the National Exchange Club program Accept the Challenge of Excellence (ACE). Winners are selected for their perseverance and success in overcoming extreme adversity in their home lives.
The remaining eight scholarships are awarded to one boy and one girl at Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools for achievements in academics, extra-curricular activities and community service.
Newport Exchange and the Exchange Club of Long Beach co-founded CAPC in the early 1980s. Then-President Bill Barrington, members Bill Demeulle, Theodore (Bob) Robins and others opened CAPC inside a trailer parked at the Buena Park Police Department.
In 1990, CAPC achieved its own tax-exempt status. CAPC is the fourth-largest nonprofit in the country dedicated to child-abuse prevention. It serves at-risk children and families in crisis to prevent and break the generational cycle of child abuse. For information, visit BrightFutures4Kids.org.
Movie Night tickets are available at nhexchange.net and at the event. Tickets are $75 and $100 for VIP. Ticket holders receive an event shirt, unlimited food samples and movie admission. VIPs can select preferred seating.
Movie Night is sponsored by Warner Bros., Regency Theaters, Lido Theatre and the Crean Foundation. Food and beverage sponsors include Back Bay Bistro, Blue Water Grill, Charlie’s Chili, Gina’s Pizza, Las Fajitas, Newport Rib Company, Sabatinos, Spaghetti Bender, Straub Distributing and Woody’s Diner.
Other nonprofit support and community service
Newport Exchange’s nonprofit support extends beyond Movie Night. Each May, to commemorate Armed Forces Day, it presents the Field of Honor at Castaways Park.
For three days, 1,776 American flags wave in honor of Armed Forces members. Businesses and individuals are invited to dedicate flags in honor of men and women serving or who have served in the military, law enforcement or as first responders. In 2016, Field of Honor raised more than $30,000 for military-related causes, such as the Wounded Warriors Project and 1st Battalion, 1st Marines Division.
Newport Exchange has many community-service projects that promote Americanism, celebrate public servants and heroism, and aid those in need.
Exchange invites more than 700 Newport-Mesa Unified students to the Field of Honor dedication ceremony to learn from World War II veterans, police and fire chiefs, the mayors of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, and other local dignitaries.
Through its Freedom Shrine Project, the club has gifted plaques displaying historical reproductions, such as the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, to more than 30 schools and other public places.
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