Wild About November and Al Jarreau

Every month in Los Angeles is a generous benefit month, but September, October, November, February, March, April and May--those seven--get the most nods from date-seeking chairmen. November is heavy, because the city has to get in all that fund raising before the crowds relax and go out every night in December for fun and pure friendship.

That’s generalizing. Nevertheless, it explains why November is wild.

And, as for the California Special Olympics team, they’re wild about Al Jarreau, the jazz star whose performances at the Greek Theater were sold out last summer, as their featured entertainer of the evening for the second annual “Spirit of Friendship Gala” on Nov. 23 at the Century Plaza.

Rafer Johnson, president of the board of the group, and supporters including the Sheldon Ausmans, the Norton Browns, the Charles Millers (Avery Products) and the Fred Clareys, have the house more than half sold for the affair. The audience will participate with Monty Hall in a “Let’s Make a Deal” auction. The popular Groundlings also will perform and so will Special Olympian Daimon Thompson and the Los Amigos Special Olympic Choral group.

Carl Karcher, chairman of the board and CEO of Carl’s Jr. restaurant chain, will accept the Friendship Award for his ongoing support of a unique sports training camp for Special Olympic athletes.

Joseph Di Sante and Fred Fichman of ABC Television (who received rave reviews last year for providing the audience with a fun time) have been invited back to produce the show, which, of course, is black-tie and should attract close to 1,300 at $250 per person. Not bad, according to chairman Stephen Ackerman.

More Huntington Sheraton patchwork. Mrs. Daniel R. Burschinger of the Pasadena Garden Club and her co-workers including president Mrs. William Goodan, and Mmes. Harry McLaughlin, Kingston McKee, Edward W. Engs III, Earle J. Wilson, Richard F. Miller, William S. King, William G. Williams Jr. and Henry Buckingham, had to do some scurrying to find a new location for their luncheon to replace the closed Huntington.

They’ve moved to the Continental Room of the Pasadena Hilton for their “Living With Flowers” morning with Eszter Haraszty on Nov. 26. Hannah Bradley will decorate tables with flowers from members’ gardens.

A landscape architect and floral designer, the speaker will lecture and show slides. Her award-winning textile designs are on display in New York’s Museum of Modern Art and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

“Using the right flowers and greenery to fill one’s life and home with color, warmth and joy is her message,” says Mrs. Burschinger.

With proceeds, the Garden Club will support good causes such as Descanso Gardens, the California Arboretum Foundation, Earthside Nature Center, Friends of the Arroyo Seco, the Nature Conservancy and Pasadena Beautiful.

Ticktockers of the National Charity League of San Fernando Valley present their daughters at the 20th annual debutante ball Nov. 30 in the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire.

The debutantes wearing pearl and gold medallions will be Brandyce Lee Accetta, Julie Marie Cowderoy, Katherine Louise Donahoo, Leslie Ann Sevlian, Mary Margaret Stewart, Courtney Michele Selan and Diane Williamson.

Show-biz humanitarian Monty Hall is chairman and the chief executive officers of 11 major department stores on the West Coast have agreed to be honorary chairmen, so that means unusual clout for what the Variety Club of Southern California and the entire West Coast fashion industry is announcing as “The Greatest Fashion Show and Auction” ever. It’s Nov. 17 at the Century Plaza.

Fashion Industries for Variety Club Children’s Charities co-chairmen are JoAnn Miller, Judy Baker, Patti Miller and Rommie Davis.

Those honorary chairmen are Robb Hampson, Buffums; Michael Hecht, the Broadway; Alan Questrom, Bullock’s; Jerome Nemiro, Bullock’s Wilshire; Phil Hawley, Carter Hawley Hale; Steven Somers, I. Magnin; Judith Hofer, the May Co.; John Martins, Neiman-Marcus; James Nordstrom, Nordstrom; Michael Gould, J. W. Robinsons, and Martin Fisher, Saks Fifth Avenue.

UniCamp, UCLA’s student-run summer camp, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a gala fund-raiser Nov. 15 at the Beverly Hilton. The dinner honors Mayor Tom Bradley, former UniCamp director Luke Fishburn and Dr. William H. Grishaw.

The camp is located in the San Bernardino National Forest at two rustic sites.

Did you know? Former UniCamp counselors include UCLA vice chancellor of public affairs Alan Charles, Municipal Court Judge Sherrill D. Luke, City Councilman Joel S. Wachs and Superior Court Judge Raymond C. Cardenas.

The Bethune Ball presents a gala fund-raiser next Sunday to benefit the company’s “Dance Outreach” project to help disabled children learn to dance.

Featured will be “Dreams Come True,” a special performance presented by Allan Carr revealing noted celebrities’ hidden talents. Scheduled to perform are Morgan Fairchild, Altovise Davis, Carol Lawrence, Nicholas Walker, Shanna Reed, Hinton Battle, Florence LaRue, Lisa Hartman, Meredith MacRae, Gregory Harrison, Sid Caesar, Ricky Shroder and Gwen Verdon.

The Bethune Ballet also will present its new multimedia work, “The Trial of St. Joan.”

Special guest for the black-tie event (tickets $100) will be Lana Turner. She’ll receive the 1985 Dance Outreach “Spirit of Life” Award.

Zina Bethune, this year’s winner of the CeCe Robinson Award from the California Governor’s Committee for Employment of the Handicapped, is artistic director of the ballet.

Ed Lara, long recognized for his support of community groups such as Involvement for Young Achievers Inc. (IYA), the United Negro College Fund and Black History Essay, will be roasted at the Biltmore Bowl Nov. 14.

KDAY’s sports director, Brad Pye Jr., recipient of last year’s roast, is chairman, and he’s used sports know-how to line up roasters including Kenny Norton, former heavyweight champion, Henry Lawrence of the Los Angeles Raiders, and more roasters including Reynaldo Rey (who will double as emcee with Sid McCoy, the voice of Michelob) and Stu Gilliam. They’re expected to roast him “like they do hogs on the 19th of June in Texas and Louisiana,” Rey says.

Co-honorary chairmen for the salute are Mayor Tom Bradley, Jerry Buss, Tommy Lasorda and Al Parrish.

Lara’s company is Westside Distributors Inc.

Clydesdale horses, Western wagons, a stompin’ band and horse-shoe pitching are part of the ambiance in place this afternoon at Boys Republic. It’s a thank-you to donors, who contributed more than $2 million privately to the Republic’s annual $4.8-million budget.

About 200 will tour the facilities where young boys are rehabilitated, and where later this month they will begin the assembling of the famed della Robbia wreaths, which bring in income for the home.

Heading the festivities today are a trio of groups and presidents: Edward Korbel of the Boys Republic board; Mrs. Marjorie Rees, president of the Pasadena Auxiliary, and Jack Seifert, president of Los Solteros, the bachelor’s group. The event chairman is board member Mrs. George Boone.

More November:

The second annual Night for Sight dinner dance for Pacific Hospital of Long Beach Foundation will be held aboard the Queen Mary on Nov. 16. The foundation grants free eye surgeries to the financially disadvantaged. The foundation has named entertainer/author/composer Tom Sullivan (who is blind) as it’s national honorary chairman. . . .

TRIPOD, the organization begun by Megan Williams and Michael Shamberg in response to the discovery that their son was deaf, plans a benefit Nov. 12 at L.A.’s Comedy Store with Van Dyke Parks performing. TRIPOD’s successes include their hotline (the Grapevine), which has responded to 2,000 requests, and a preschool. . . .

Gov. and Mrs. George Deukmejian are expected to be among guests when Steve Edwards is honored by the National Center for Hyperactive Children at its fifth annual Gift of Love black-tie dinner Saturday at the Sheraton Grande. Actress Mariette Hartley will present Edwards with the 1985 Man of the Year Award. . . .

Talmadge House, the Mediterranean mansion built by silent screen star Norma Talmadge, is the setting Saturday for the Malibu Ballet Society’s opening of its season. Julie Andrews is chairman. . . .

Mayors from surrounding cities have been invited to join parents and students to salute the new campus center of the Webb Schools Saturday, according to Mrs. Changwoo Ahn, president of the Affiliates support group. . . .