Islanders Get Their Group Off the Lunch Pad

When in doubt--go to lunch. Better yet: go to lunch and plan to raise money for a good cause. So it went Monday at the Rex in Newport Beach, where Susan Chandler--wife of Rex owner Rex Chandler--and five of her friends were hosts of a luncheon. Chandler and the gang of five are founding board members of the Islanders--a newly formed support group with plans to toss one big-time benefit per year to raise money for youth charities. And they’re going to have more lunches.

What’s in a Name?

“So I guess you all want to know, like, why are you here? What is this group about?” said Chandler, addressing her guests by microphone as they sat in one sunny area of the restaurant. “We’re the Islanders, but no, we are not a Hawaiian travel group.”

They’re the Islanders because they plan to lunch four times a year at the Rex in Fashion Island. The proposed annual dress-up will also transpire at the shopping mall.

“Everything we do will be centered on Newport Center,” Chandler explained.

The other founding board members are Mary Lou Hornsby, Christine Perricone, Mary Ann Wells, Billur Wallerich and Adrienne Brennan, who thought up the group’s name.

Invitation Only

For their first get-together, the Islanders sent invitations to 80 of their friends--charity-circuit vets, one and all. Forty-four showed up for a $25-a-plate lunch, which is about what the hosts had hoped for.

At the microphone, Chandler told the group that the Islanders will admit 50 members this year ($100 annual membership), and 50 more next year.

Among those tuned to Chandler as she gave her pitch: Jean Awad, Eva Mann, Tina Schafnitz, Patty Edwards, Donna Bunce and Betty Jo Knickerbocker. .

The Program

The Islanders’ first fund-raiser, scheduled for August, 1992, will benefit the Orange County Juvenile Connection Program. Eileen Bruchman, director of development for the nonprofit agency, gave a brief talk before lunch--describing the techniques used by the 3-year-old group to connect troubled youths and their families with therapists, physicians and local support programs.

As the lunching ladies dug into wild mushroom ravioli, baby greens and poached salmon, models pirouetted past the tables wearing clothes from the Neiman Marcus department store in Fashion Island.

The 40 outfits on display represented “transitional clothing,” said founding Islander Wallerich, public relations manager of Neiman Marcus. They were to be worn during the transition between seasons, she said.

What seasons? “The seasons set by fashion trends,” said Wallerich, laughing.

Transition-wear ranged from knit day-dresses for $600 to a short, sequinned Bob Mackie gown for $7,400.