R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY : And the Winners Are . . . Local Charities : Assistance League programs, CHOC and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation benefit from Oscar parties.

At the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, it was Tom Hanks and Jessica Lange who were engulfed in bright lights, screaming fans and paparazzi on Oscar night. At Bistango Restaurant and the Atrium in Irvine, all 400 guests got the star treatment.

The Assistance League of Newport-Mesa and the Virginia Castle Auxiliary rolled out the red carpet for their second annual “Night of the Stars” Academy Awards celebration Monday.

The $100-per-person gala netted about $100,000 for league programs that benefit children, including a day-care and dental health center.

Everybody’s a Star

Party-goers felt like Oscar nominees from the moment they stepped from their cars. They were greeted by a bleacher filled with screaming “fans,” played by members of Assisteens, the league’s junior organization, who deserved an Oscar nomination for their enthusiastic performance.

Bright lights and smoke from a fog machine surrounded the “stars” as they were interviewed on closed-circuit TV by official greeter Bill Yingling. Yingling asked guests their Oscar picks.

Except for an occasional “Pulp Fiction” booster, this crowd backed “Forrest Gump” “by 96%,” he said.

Inside the atrium, large-screen TVs displayed guest interviews before switching over to the Oscar broadcast. A stage with gurneys and colored lights was set up for a live auction.

“The idea was to make it look like a movie set,” said Linda Mayeda, event chairwoman, who attended with her husband, Sam. She looked like a star in a long black and silver gown.

Party-goers watched the show from tables adorned with gold stars at each place setting and white floral centerpieces decorated with film strips. They dined on salmon with garlic potatoes and tiramisu from Bistango while keeping their eyes on the awards show.

Not everyone was a serious movie buff.

“The last movie John saw was ‘The Sting,’ ” joked Trish O’Donnell. She and her husband, John, were event honorees.

Oscar Competition

Oscar night bashes have become a popular fund-raiser for Orange County charities. While league supporters were cheering their Oscar favorites at Bistango, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Padrinos support group staged its Oscar bash at Planet Hollywood in Santa Ana. Guests there were also swamped by fans, bright lights and paparazzi.

“It’s the closest thing to actually being invited to the awards,” said Bob Tygenhof, event chairman. The $75-per-person gala was expected to net $40,000 for CHOC.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation claims to be first in the county with an Oscar bash--a tradition that began three years ago. The foundation staged “An Evening With Oscar Act III” at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, an event complete with a red carpet, flashing cameras and life-size cutouts of film stars.

“People like the Hollywood glamour. They want to be stars for the evening,” said Liz Polo, director of special events for the foundation.

The $100-per-person bash netted about $40,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Susan Brayton was the chairwoman of the event.

“The best flattery we could have is that two other organizations are now having Oscar parties,” Polo said.

Among the “stars” spotted at the Assistance League bash were: Jane Kingsley, president of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa, and her husband, Jerry; Mary Jean Simpkins, honorary chairwoman, and her husband, Ted; Zee Allred, event honoree; Virginia Knott Bender; Byron and Ronnie Allumbaugh; Marion Pickens, chairwoman of the Virginia Castle Auxiliary, and her husband, Dennis; Chris and Patti Rose; Dale and Joanne Johnson; Steve and Kathy Allison; Bob and Elaine Basmajian; Larry and Char Wardrup; Chan and Marie-France Lefebvre, and Jerry and Betty De Freece.