Mardi Gras Dinner Is Good Show for the County’s Catholic Charities

“Al, you’ve got guts!”

Those were the words Bishop Norman McFarland said he whispered to Al Baldwin as he crowned him king of Mardi Gras at the benefit for Catholic Charities of Orange County on Friday night.

“You are dear to support a very good cause,” McFarland told Al and Deeann Baldwin--she was crowned queen by Bishop Michael Driscoll. “By your presence and generosity, you are supporting some very worthwhile works.”

Those works may go under the banner of Catholic Charities, Al Baldwin noted during the cocktail hour. “But it’s almost a misnomer,” he said. “With this organization, the church is acting as a facilitator to help people help people. It’s nondenominational work.”

(Among its causes: substance abuse prevention, outreach to the homeless, food distribution, immigration and resettlement, and care for handicapped children.)

Al confessed he was feeling “on the spot,” about having to parade with Deeann in flowing purple robes at the Red Lion Hotel in Costa Mesa.

“I’m nervous, but I’m excited,” said Deeann, radiant in emeralds and a spangled gown she’d bought with “Mardi Gras in mind.”

The popular society couple brought the house down when they swept into the ballroom, sporting dazzling crowns created by Doris Cantlay, board chairwoman of Catholic Charities.

Cantlay has gained a reputation for her regal crowns, which gleam with hundreds of beads, crystals and rhinestones. She also fashioned them for Mary and Peter Muth, Gail and Gordon Lee, and Gaye and Art Birtcher when they were honored at past balls.

“Now people know I’m looking for stones and brooches, so they bring them to church!” Cantlay said with a gentle laugh. “They say they have something beautiful for me and I’m grateful.”

Festivities began with a cocktail reception where guests such as the Baldwins’ four children--Ron, Steve, Shawn and Allison--mingled and had keepsake photos taken.

The sit-down dinner, elegant in a setting of gold Mylar curtains, balloons and birds of paradise, included an eight-ounce serving of filet mignon (yes, guests adored their mega-servings), broiled scampi and cherries jubilee. Wayne Foster’s orchestra played for dancing.

Also among guests were Sister Kristan Schlichte, executive director of Catholic Charities; Msgr. John Urell, master of ceremonies; Jim and Nancy Baldwin; Kathy McLarand with her daughter, Meredith; Margaret and hamburger mogul Carl Karcher (who said he had given coupons for a hamburger, chicken sandwich and hot dog to Margaret Thatcher at a private luncheon last week--”She was thrilled!” he said); Ygal and Sheila Prell Sonenshine; Janice and Roger Johnson, and Gene Hawkins with his wife, gala chairwoman Helen Hawkins, whose rich costume was straight out of Arabian Nights: “With our boys in Desert Storm, do you think I wouldn’t dress up like this? I have to be patriotic!” she said.