Luncheon Tribute to San Diego’s Dedicated Volunteers

In the midst of what many leaders in the charity biz say is a crisis in volunteerism, the 1989 crop of Women of Dedication marched serenely down the runway in the San Diego Marriott’s Pavilion Ballroom.

The Valentine’s Day luncheon and tribute to San Diego County volunteers--the 24th in an annual series--drew a crowd of more than 700, and, as always, benefited the Salvation Army Door of Hope. According to auxiliary president Elsie Weston, the Door of Hope “serves women and children who are the unfortunate victims of difficult times.”

Unlike most such events, the audience included a lot of men, the sons and husbands of the 15 honorees.

The day prompted such jubilant excesses as scatterings of candy hearts on the table tops and blazing crimson outfits, so many of them that one wag suggested that anyone who had had the forethought to set up a sunglass concession would have earned a small fortune by the end of the day.

Serious Event

However, the Women of Dedication luncheon is, at its heart, a very serious event. Over the years it has honored several hundred volunteers who continue to be active in civic, cultural and health-related charities throughout the county; most of them attend the fund-raiser on an annual basis.

Committee chairman Sue Teasdel described induction into the Women of Dedication as “one of the most coveted honors in San Diego County.”

“These women are the truly dedicated volunteers among us,” Teasdel said. “They come from every part of the county, and there’s no doubt that they’re part of the local backbone. The community would be poorer without them.”

In program notes, event founder Emmy Cote explained the criteria behind the selection of each year’s group of women.

“They have made special contributions to the quality of life in San Diego through their volunteer efforts on behalf of hospitals, educational institutions and cultural and civic organizations,” Cote noted. “Without their commitment, little could be accomplished without considerable cost in money and time.”

Major Bette Love represented the Salvation Army at the event, which traditionally is its most visible annual fund-raiser. She said that she remains constantly “amazed” that, year after year, the Women of Dedication is able to identify a new group of volunteers whose labors qualify them for the honor.

‘Inspire All of Us’

“These women inspire all of us at the Salvation Army,” said Love. “What they do goes along with our belief that service to others has to be a focus in everyone’s life if there is to be any lasting worth to what they do. For the Women of Dedication, we try to find a broad spectrum of people who work on the everyday needs of the neighborhoods and institutions in this county. Our Salvation Army motto in 1989 is ‘Touch the life of someone who needs you,’ and an event like this is a reminder of how much can be accomplished when one person reaches out to someone else.”

For the most part, the 1989 Women of Dedication nibbled nervously at their plates of chicken with apples while waiting to be called for the formal presentation. But like their hundreds of predecessors, they all looked pleased and proud as they were greeted by the applause of their fellow volunteers.

The list of honorees included Eva Washington Crawford, past president of the San Diego Physicians and Surgeons Hospital board and current president of the California Retired Teachers Assn., division four; Leonora Crimmins, president of the Kensington chapter of the San Diego Symphony Auxiliary; Darlene Davies, a performing arts patron and member of the University of San Diego board of trustees; Christine Fontana, founder of the San Diego Hall of Science Auxiliary; Jean Hahn, a Children’s Hospital supporter and honorary chair of the Director’s Circle of the Mingei Museum; Evonne Johnson, chairman of the San Diego Women’s Opportunities Week committee; Patricia Keating, president of the USD Auxiliary and of Meals on Wheels, and Bess Lambron, a charter member of the Museum of Man and a board director of the Country Friends.

Also, Eleanor Magoffin, past president of the Tri-City Hospital Auxiliary; Barbara Malone, former Museum of Man president and a past Jewel Ball chairman; Adele Whalen Schurch, chairman of the South Bay Opera Guild; Rose Mary Taylor, president of the California Ballet Auxiliary and chairman of The Haven of the Salvation Army; Charlotte Thompson, president of the Navy League Women’s Council; Ann Williams, president of the Social Service League of La Jolla, and Barbara ZoBell, board member of the San Diego Museum of Art and co-chairman of marketing and special events for the San Diego Arts Festival committee.

LA JOLLA--The growing cultural importance of the Pacific Rim will be emphasized at “Pacific Passage--A Culinary Journey to the Orient,” the eighth annual Celebrities Cook for the UC-San Diego Cancer Center gala and fund-raiser.

The theme of the annual cooking extravaganza, to be held March 18 in the Champagne Ballroom at the Sheraton Harbor Island hotel, was announced recently by chairman Cheryl Rohde at the traditional committee nosh-off hosted by cooking expert Edie Greenberg and her husband, Dean.

Previous events have featured cooking contests among gifted local amateurs and professional chefs, as well as exhibition cooking by celebrated chefs and food authorities from around the world. Judges’ panels have included leading vintners and cook book authors. According to Rohde, the March event will focus strictly on the cooking of the Orient, but will encompass most of its main cuisines. She said that a sidelight to the choice of the Pacific Rim theme was the attention she expects it to bring to the Pacific Rim Studies program at UCSD.

Three celebrity chefs will demonstrate techniques and feed the anticipated crowd of more than 500 during the cocktail hour. Udo Nechutneys, chef/proprietor of the Miramonte Restaurant and Country Inn in St. Helena, will prepare one of the dishes he has created by combining Japanese, Chinese and nouvelle cuisines. Frank and Tommy Wong, of the Trey Yuan Cuisine of China restaurants in Hammond and Mandeville, Louisiana, will offer hybrid dishes that combine the special products of Lousiana bayous with classic Chinese cooking techniques.

Among contestant chefs--all from San Diego County restaurants and all preparing nibbles for the crowd--will be Yen Kim Ngo of the A Dong Vietnamese restaurant; Songsri Thammasuckdi of Celadon, who will prepare Thai specialties; Yuki Ota of Mr. Sushi; Su-Mei Yu of Saffron, and Audrey Yen of Yen’s Wok.

Tickets cost from $200 to $500 per person, and proceeds benefit research and treatment programs at the UCSD Cancer Center. Call the center for more information.