The Crowd: ‘British Invasion’ raises cash for Laura’s House
October is noted as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Can you believe in this nation, at this time in human history, that we need to label a month of the calendar to shine a light on domestic violence? Is it so widespread, so commonplace, so accepted as part of American life? Yes, it is.
Over the past two decades that same scourge has come out of the American closet. It has been swept under the proverbial American rug, but now is recognized as a month of awareness on the calendar.
In the O.C. a number of organizations have been standing up in the face of domestic violence for some time. Most of them came into play following the death of Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994.
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One such outreach is known as Laura’s House, which has been in the hands of Executive Director Margaret Bayston for some 22 years. Since its early days in 1994, Laura’s House has reached out to some 50,000 victims of domestic violence, mainly women but also some men. Support services have included emergency shelters, legal aid, counseling and financial aid. Long-term shelter and support has aided some 5,000 abuse victims.
Recently in Newport Beach, the Island Hotel welcomed 300 donors of Laura’s House for an annual fundraiser. A serious $650,000 was raised in support of its programs. Event planners built the party around the theme “British Invasion.”
Dedicated Laura’s House advocates — including Laura Khouri, Laverne Friedman, Linda Kearns, Anne MacPherson, Kerri Strunk and Brenda Zalke — created a lively party that transformed guests back to the 1960s, when the Beatles created a sensation that still resonates through American pop culture.
Presenting sponsors of the event were Khouri and Michael Hayde. Major underwriting came from Newport’s philanthropic duo Donna and Dick Pickup, Laura and Mark Feld, the David Ball family and a host of prominent family foundations, including the Argyros, Glass, MacPherson, Stack and Thompson foundation grants. Corporate funding came from Pacific Hospitality Group, Haskell & White LLP, Park Newport Apartments, Neudesic, Verizon and Urban Decay Cosmetics.
Honored patrons of the year were Pam Jacobson, founder of the Healing Sanctuary, and Wende Zomnir of Urban Decay. Karen Stine, a victim of domestic violence and now an administrator for Laura’s House, delivered the keynote address.
To learn more, contact Laura’s House on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
