Memorial Day filled with activities
Memorial Day activities in town will kick off with the annual pancake breakfast, hosted by the Laguna Beach Exchange Club, Laguna Beach Police and Firefighters departments from 7 to 10:30 a.m. at Heisler Park, the corner of Myrtle Street and Cliff Drive.
Cost for the breakfast is $5, according to a news release. Las Brisas Restaurant and White House Restaurant are donating food and other materials; firefighters will flip the pancakes; entertainment will be provided by Dough Miller, Rosie Morreale and Dave Lopez.
Proceeds from breakfast will go toward child abuse prevention programs and community and youth projects, the release said.
Following the breakfast, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Laguna Beach American Legion will conduct its Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at Monument Point in Heisler Park. Keynote speaker will be Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa), a press release stated.
Patriotic music will being at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Richard Moore at (949) 376-6340 or Dave Connell at (949) 494-2065.
Those interested in bringing flowers should contact Diane Connell at (949) 494-2065.
Lastly, the Laguna Concert Band will conduct a concert from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on the cobblestones of Main Beach. They will perform patriotic numbers, led by conductor Bill Nicholls, a fife and drum feature, music from “The Music Man” by Meridith Willson, the Laguna Beach “weather report” with conductor Pete Fournier and a peek “Over the Rainbow” with sax virtuoso Gary Gould, according to a news release.
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Woman’s Club hosts fundraiser for college student
The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach is hosting a fundraiser for a Saddleback College student who is facing medical issues.
Sarah Mahoney, who was accepted to UC Berkley as a music major, has undergone several tests, but yet to have a diagnosis. Mahoney cannot walk after having muscle weakness and difficulty breathing from originally attributed to a cold or the flu.
Intensive physical therapy helps Mahoney breathe and regain her lost muscle mass, according to a news release. However, her insurance is wiped out and her weekly physical therapy sessions need to be covered.
The fundraiser will take place form 3 to 4:30 p.m. May 30 at the clubhouse, 286 St. Ann’s Drive. A donation of $15 is suggested and coffee and dessert will be served by Mangi Con Amore. All are welcome to attend.
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Local nonprofit receives grant
Impact Giving handed out six grants totaling $130,000, including one to a Laguna Beach nonprofit, at its fourth annual “Making the Impact” awards ceremony earlier this month.
Chhahari Inc. received a $17,000 grant for solar panel and battery storage systems, according to a news release. The Laguna Beach nonprofit will install the systems at Chhahari, a home for at-risk and orphaned youths in Kathmandu, Nepal, and at the nearby 400-student Sagarmatha Education Academy.
Kathmandu residents typically endure 19 hours of power outages daily. Chhahari’s founder, Laguna resident Christine Casey, is currently in Nepal working with the children and the Nepal board of the nonprofit she founded in 2007.
Impact Giving is an Orange County women’s group. The other grant recipients include Just In Time for Foster Youth, KidWorks Community Development Corp., Access OC, Families Forward and Lotus Outreach International.
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Glennwood fundraiser a success
Glennwood House of Laguna Beach raised $14,000 at its Cinco de Mayo celebration, according to a news release.
About 80 people attended the event and enjoyed Mexican food from Jock Stalker caterers and creative cocktails made with Ketel One and Nolet’s liquor.
Money raised is going toward the Glennwood House, which will be home to 50 young adults with developmental disabilities.
The home is undergoing repairs and upgrades and is expected to be ready by June.
More information can be found at glennwoodhousing.org/housing.
— Alisha Gomez