Countywide : $1 Million Collected for Children’s Home

The Orangewood Children’s Foundation launched a $3.75-million capital expansion campaign Tuesday, raising $1 million at a Santa Ana Country Club fund-raising breakfast.

“I’m not sure we’ve had a million-dollar breakfast in Orange County before,” said William Steiner, director of the Orangewood Foundation. “We may have had million-dollar lunches or dinners, but I don’t know about breakfasts. I think it speaks to the support the community has for the children’s home.”

Academy Award-winner Jon Voight and 1984 gold-medalist Peter Vidmar of Irvine were among 100 politicians, dignitaries and other supporters attending the “Orangewood Vision 2000” breakfast.

Steiner said the expansion of Orangewood reflects an increase in child-abuse cases in the county, resulting in overcrowding at the home. Proposed additions to Orangewood will allow it to handle 1,000 more children per year. Orangewood currently provides emergency shelter for up to 3,000 children annually.

The expansion will include building three residential cottages housing 22 children each, four new classrooms and expansion of the infant-care center.

Orangewood’s nursery handles 14 infants. The new care center, with capacity for 38 infants, would include facilities for infants born with drug addictions or AIDS. It will also provide an area for teen-age mothers to stay overnight with their children. The kitchen, dining, visiting and medical areas of the home also will be expanded.

The County Board of Supervisors topped the pledges with a promise of $600,000 in combined funds from the county, bequests and donated land. Other pledges included $25,000 in matching funds from Kaiser Permanente and $25,000 in concrete from Greer Bros. Enterprises, an Orange construction company.

Doug DeCinces, former Los Angeles Angels third baseman, donated $100,000 in proceeds from his 1989 celebrity golf tournament. His promise to donate money from the 1990 tournament brought the morning’s pledges over the $1-million mark.

Ground breaking is set for August, with completion scheduled for the summer of 1991.