Hoag Hospital Benefit a Ball, by Dickens

Like boat parades and surfing Santas, the Christmas Carol Ball for Hoag Hospital has become a holiday tradition in Newport Beach.

More than 350 people decked out in their holiday finery attended this year’s bash on Saturday, staged by the hospital foundation’s 552 Club at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Tennis Club. The 27th annual gala, which cost $552 per couple, was expected to raise more than $100,000 for the hospital’s Emergency Care Unit.

Yuletide Ritual

“This used to be one of the first balls to kick off the holiday season. In the old days John Wayne used to attend,” said Paul Nyquist, ball chairman, who sported a tuxedo with a cummerbund set printed with tiny Santas. His wife, Sandy, was wrapped up in a strapless green satin dress.

Charles and Nora Hester haven’t missed a single ball.

“Our goal is to go the next 27 years,” Nora said.

Harry Babbitt and wife, Betty, have attended faithfully for 25 years. He has become the Bing Crosby of the ball, leading everyone in singing Christmas carols and delivering his rendition of “White Christmas.”

“Every year I sing with the big band--I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.

The Wilcox family also has a near-perfect attendance record.

“We’ve only missed two of them. It’s a family tradition,” said Ellen Wilcox, who attended with husband, Bob.

“We were ball chairs two years ago, and this year our son, James, is Santa Claus,” she said. James, who stood at the door in his Santa suit greeting guests, was born at Hoag Hospital in 1955.

“Having used the hospital so much, we want to support it,” Ellen Wilcox said. “One of the reasons we’re anxious to raise money for it is we want to be sure all of the health care services are available in our area.”

Festive Feast

In keeping with the ball’s “Spirit of Christmas” theme, organizers created a Dickens-like scene inside the dimly-lit ballroom. Christmas trees twinkled with strands of white lights. The orchestra played before a painted backdrop of an old-fashioned London street scene.

Tables were draped in red and green plaid cloths. In the center of each stood a large white candle in a hurricane lamp surrounded by a wreath of pine cones and greenery.

Guests dined on an old-fashioned holiday feast that included venison goulash en croute, lobster over artichoke bottoms with red and yellow bell pepper coulis and field greens tossed in tarragon vinaigrette, rib-eye of veal, cranberry chutney and sweet potato. Dessert was an elaborate confection featuring harlequin creme brulee with raspberries served with chocolate-dipped hazelnut biscotti and raspberries and white chocolate ice cream served with a miniature Chambord.

After dinner, guests sang Christmas carols and danced to the big band sounds of Barry Cole and the Sounds of Music orchestra.

Lucky Number

The 552 Club was founded in 1966, when Hoag Hospital announced plans to increase its number of hospital beds to 552. John Vilbert, Marshall Duffield and Vin Jorgensen organized the group of community leaders to help the hospital reach its goal. Since then the club has continued to provide financial support to Hoag.

Proceeds from the ball will help the hospital expand and renovate its emergency care unit.

“The unit is extremely overused and undersized, particularly with other hospitals closing their units,” Nyquist said. “It’s a hard item to maintain because a lot of people who do come in are uninsured.”

Last year the unit served 42,000 patients, although it was designed to accommodate 18,000.

Guests also brought a toy for a needy child, to be distributed through the Share Our Selves clinic in Costa Mesa.

Faces in the crowd included: 552 Club President Robert McDaniel and his wife, Carollee; Charles and Jo Ann Bozza; artist John Cosby (who donated a painting called “Christmas in Newport” for auction); Mark and Kim Cubeiro; Ward and Luisa Gulley; George and Patty Hoag; Jim Johnson and Nora Jorgensen; John Martin; Ron and Kathy Merriman; Douglas and Joanne Newcomb; Hans and Charlene Prager; and Richard and Sandy Sewell.