MISSION VIEJO : Fund-Raisers for Crash Victim, Sister

As 11-year-old Karie Minzey continues to recover from critical injuries she suffered nearly three weeks ago in a car crash that killed her parents, an outpouring of support from the community keeps growing.

Several new fund-raisers have been scheduled to raise money to benefit Karie and her sister, Shelby, said Connie Beaty, president of the Mission De Oro Bobby Sox League.

Karie and her parents, Mark and Noreen Minzey, were actively involved in the league and were traveling home from a softball game on July 11 when their car was hit head-on by an allegedly intoxicated driver.

Mark and Noreen Minzey were both killed, and Karie was critically injured. Two other occupants in the car were treated and released from the hospital.

Karie’s sister, Shelby, 15, was visiting relatives in Georgia at the time of the accident. Karie remains at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where her condition has been upgraded to fair, according to the hospital.

Because her condition has improved significantly, she was able to undergo surgery Thursday to repair fractures in her leg, arm and face, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Laguna Beach physician Ronald Joseph Allen, 31, was arrested after the crash. Allen, who remains in jail, faces second-degree murder charges and a felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and causing serious injury.

The following are fund-raisers for a trust fund established for Karie and Shelby Minzey:

* On Sunday, Cut Loose Salon on Lake Forest Drive will hold a “cut-a-thon” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All haircuts will be discounted to $15 or $25, with all proceeds going to the trust fund. To set up an appointment, call (714) 855-3217.

* On Wednesday, three Lamppost Pizza locations in Mission Viejo and Lake Forest will donate 50% of their gross sales to the trust fund. The restaurants are located at Marguerite Parkway and La Paz Road, El Toro and Trabuco roads and Mercury Road and Rockfield Boulevard.

* From Aug. 6 to 8, Andrea’s Liquor and Deli at Marguerite and Crown Valley parkways will donate 25% of its gross sales, less tax, to the trust fund.

* The Aegean Hills Homeowners Assn. will donate all proceeds from two recycling drives on Aug. 28 and Sept. 25 to the trust fund. The recycling drives will be held in the parking lot of the Target store on Alicia Parkway at Charlinda Drive.

* From now until Aug. 15, Mary Kay Cosmetics representative Laraine Thomas, Karie’s fifth-grade science lab teacher, will donate 30% of each purchase to the trust fund. Call Thomas at (714) 586-0703 for sales information.

Last weekend, the Mission De Oro Bobby Sox League raised $9,300 during a daylong carwash, and about $15,000 in donations have been sent to the trust fund, Beaty said.

Donations may be sent to the trust fund at the Bank of Orange County, 27230 La Paz Road, Mission Viejo, Calif. 92692.