Champions of Children : CASA Honors Advocates; Padrinos Name Athletes of Year

Orange County Supervisor William G. Steiner--for years an advocate for abused, abandoned and neglected children at Orangewood--was named Children’s Champion at the first benefit staged by CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) on Friday at Le Meridien Hotel in Newport Beach.

About 300 guests watched Steiner receive a large Lucite crayon engraved with the CASA logo for his work on behalf of the empowerment of children.

( This was a benefit with an eye on efficiency. Organizers promised no long-winded speeches and guaranteed festivities would conclude by 10:30 p.m. They delivered.)

Other child activists honored at the affair were Evelyn Gibson, named volunteer of the year; Gene Howard, public service honoree, and Donald Boortz, community and financial support honoree.

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Joining the Joyners: Olympic gold medalists Florence Griffith Joyner and Al Joyner were named athletes of the year on Tuesday night at a gala staged by the Padrinos support group of Children’s Hospital of Orange County at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

“Flo Jo” has been called the world’s fastest woman for her still-standing world record times in the 100- and 200-meter women’s track events. She holds three Olympic gold medals and two silver medals. Her husband holds a gold medal for the triple jump. Peter Ueberroth, organizer of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, was the evening’s keynote speaker.

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Encore: When tenor saxophonist Kenny G appeared with Michael Bolton at the Cystic Fibrosis Guild of Orange County’s 1992 gala at the Disneyland Hotel, more than $300,000 net was realized .

Well, Kenny G is coming back. (Bolton has other commitments.) On May 27, the musician with the long, curly hair and laid-back style will appear before 700 guests at a gala chaired by Dean Gerrie, Karen Hall and Sue Hook.

And this time, the Grammy Award winner will likely attend a preconcert reception for gala sponsors. “This time around he has a better understanding of what we do,” says Hook, a long-time activist in the fight against CF, a congenital disease of children characterized by frequent respiratory infections. “So, chances are good he’ll spend some private time with us.”

Hook watched Kenny G perform at a New York gala for CF in January. “He told me he was really excited about coming back to Orange County,” she said. Tickets at $250 per person include dinner, dancing, live auction and the performance. Patrons who donate $500 each will receive special seating and gifts.

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A jewel of an entertainer: “The Phantom of the Opera” star Davis Gaines will perform at the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s “Symphony of Jewels” benefit on May 7 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Also on the bill for the $175-per-person fund-raiser is French Canadian pianist Alain Lefevre, who recently made a compact disc recording with the orchestra. (Lefevre has been a featured soloist with the Montreal, Toronto and Houston symphonies and will soon tour Japan with with the Moscow Virtuosi.) The ball will be underwritten by Tiffany & Co. at South Coast Plaza. For ticket information, call (714) 755-5788.

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Premiere benefit for Child Development Center: Floss and Ed Schumacher will receive the Dr. James Satterfield Award at the first benefit staged by the Child Development Center of UC Irvine on Feb. 26 at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. Satterfield was a forerunner in research for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

The Schumachers, who live in Palm Desert, have long been activists on behalf of mental health causes in Orange County. They have worked on behalf of the UCI Brain Imaging Center Committee and the Foundation for the Retarded.

Tickets, which include the tribute and formal dinner, are $150 each. Call (714) 721-0475.