R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY : Joining Real-Life Breast Cancer Fight : ‘General Hospital’ actress and others who are battling against the disease attend fund-raiser at South Coast Plaza to aid Susan G. Komen foundation.

Actress Leslie Charleson, whose character on “General Hospital” has been battling breast cancer, joined in the real-life fight against the disease at the “Taste of the Good Life” benefit for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

More than 200 guests wandered about South Coast Plaza’s Jewel Court in Costa Mesa on Saturday, sampling food and wine from 22 restaurants and food shops as well as seven local and international vintners.

Staged by the foundation’s Orange County chapter, the $100-per-person food fest was expected to net about $20,000. Proceeds will help make mammograms available to women with limited resources.

Playing the Part

For more than a year, viewers have watched as Charleson’s character, Dr. Monica Quartermaine, has fought breast cancer.

“It’s been an incredible experience,” said Charleson.

“Women come up to me and say, ‘Because of you I got a mammogram.’ They send letters sharing their stories about having breast cancer.”

Some guests at the gala who have had breast cancer said Charleson has done a good job of capturing their experience.

“It’s a very realistic portrayal of a cancer patient,” said Anne Morris, event co-chairwoman and a six-year breast cancer survivor.

Before the producers of “General Hospital” decided to go with the breast cancer story line, they contacted the foundation.

“They asked how we felt about someone portraying a breast cancer patient on the show. We told them it was a tremendous opportunity to educate women,” said Sandy Finestone, chapter president. “Leslie is reaching an entire group of women we would not be able to reach,” Finestone said. “Now her character is going back to work and that sends a wonderful message to women. It’s a positive role.”

Charleson received an award from the chapter for her support of breast cancer education and awareness, and she was invited to run in the chapter’s Race for the Cure fund-raiser Sept. 24 at Fashion Island Newport Beach.

Food-a-thon

This was the chapter’s first food and wine tasting. Guests grazed on all kinds of fare, including spinach and ricotta ravioli from Antonello, Chinois chicken salad from Wolfgang Puck, Caesar salad from Salmagundi, sweet corn masa from El Torito Grill and chocolate mousse with strawberries from the Magic Pan. When not eating, they danced in front of darkened storefronts to music by the Greg Vail Band.

The foundation is named after Susan Komen, who died at 36 after a three-year battle with breast cancer. Her sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, organized the group in 1982.

Dava Gerard, medical director of the Breast Health Center in Santa Ana and chairwoman of the foundation’s national medical advisory board, started the local chapter 10 years ago.

“I started seeing a large number of women with breast cancer. I’m a surgeon, but most issues couldn’t be addressed in the operating room,” she said. “We needed to do something to promote early detection.”

Gerard was honored for her work by the foundation. Other honorees were: Wanda Cobb, founder of the Orange County Chapter of High Priority and Presurgical Partners; Dr. John West, medical director of the Breast Care Center at St. Joseph Medical Plaza; and Robyn Wagner-Holtz, co-founder with her son Jon of Komen Kids, a support group for children whose parents have cancer.

The evening’s proceeds will go to the Komen Breast Cancer Early Detection Program providing free mammograms, clinical breast exams and instruction in breast self-examination to women over 40. “It costs $100 to provide the free screening to one person. Everyone here who came here tonight potentially saved a life,” Finestone said.

Faces in the crowd included: Jacquin Anastasio, co-chair-woman of the Race for the Cure; Nina Rattner, event co-chair- woman; Billur Wallerich, Sueanne Pacini, Ann Crane, Alison Hill, Sally Molnar, Charli Raye-Novak, Debi Guibord, Belinda Obiols, Karen Wilcox, Sandi Carter, Maria Ghaly, Sally Coombe, Skip Pedigo and Marybeth Cole Standel.