Shopping Dead in Their Tracks at Fund-Raiser
They wore shiny stuff. They bought shiny stuff. They partied ‘til their plastic popped. That was the whole point.
Tuesday night was the kickoff party for the annual socialite spending spree known as “Shop ‘Til You Drop”--a two-day fund-raiser for the Assessment and Treatment Services Center in Santa Ana.
About 140 members and guests of the Sophisticates, an ATSC support group, gathered at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach to cruise the narrow aisles of a conference room converted into a glittery bazaar. After they shopped, guests dropped into plush seats in a nearby dining room for dinner of barbecued ribs and chicken.
Attention Bay Club shoppers: The benefit ends at 6 p.m. today.
America, the Bountiful
Diane McDonald and Patti Mickey co-chaired this year’s event, which made a thematic leap onto the patriotic bandwagon. Red, white and blue balloons, stickers, banners, sweaters, shirts, pants, belts, bustiers--you name it, you could get it with stars and stripes on it.
Themed to the extreme, McDonald was a walking homage to Old Glory, from the sequined flag on her red straw hat to her ruby pumps. Mickey played it straight in white shorts and matching jacket draped with a red-and-white-striped scarf.
On Your Mark, Get Set--Shop!
Among the 25 vendors hawking their wares were Jill and David Yacobucci of Dana Point, who make personalized books for children and adults; Gary Rodell’s huge selection of designer watches and sunglasses; and a San Fernando Valley woman named Conchita O’Kane, with a booth full of handcrafted sterling silver jewelry. Vendors donate 12% of their gross sales to ATSC.
As in years gone by, shopper gridlock formed around the front-and-center display of faux jewelry brought by Joyce King. King’s flashy goods, priced from $10 to $1,000, drew the guests like bees to honey.
“Joyce is our largest contributor--by far,” said Sophisticates President Nancy Weisbrod. “This is dangerous for me,” giggled co-chair Mickey, eyeing King’s fortress of display cases. “I only bought one thing so far--a gift for a friend. But the party only started 10 minutes ago . . . .”
The Cause
“Arrest the problem, not the child,” is the motto of ATSC, a counseling center serving families that live in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Orange and Irvine.
Todd Nicholson, president of the ATSC board of directors, said about half of the center’s $485,000 annual budget came from benefits such as “Shop ‘Til You Drop.”
Last year, ATSC provided free counseling to 450 families. “This year the numbers are way up,” said Nicholson.
