Volunteerism Was Foundation for Building New Life Together

It was hardly a conventional courtship for Judi Giocondo and Jim Erickson of Huntington Beach. Giocondo’s idea of a date was to slap a hammer and paintbrush into Erickson’s hands and put him to work renovating buildings. So it was no surprise to Erickson when Giocondo suggested a not-so-conventional wedding.

They’ll be married this morning on 4th Street in Santa Ana at the headquarters for Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children. More than 200 people have RSVP’d. Instead of wedding gifts, all the guests are making money donations to Olive Crest.

Giocondo works for St. Joseph’s Health Systems. She represents the hospital company in Corporate Combined, a collection of businesses that put together volunteer projects each year. Last summer’s project was renovating the new Olive Crest headquarters. Grab a broom, Jim.

Erickson teaches fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary in Huntington Beach, and one of Giocondo’s four children was in his class. The couple met during a parent-teacher conference. An inauspicious beginning for romance.

Erickson had already raised a family and was single. He wasn’t looking for complications in his life, nor any more causes. But Giocondo’s energy was hard for him to ignore.

After they dated awhile, he learned about her zeal for causes.

“It started out with me just driving her over to Olive Crest,” he says chuckling. “But it wasn’t long before I had the sleeves rolled up and my hands dirty. Judi was incredible. After telling the drywaller about all the good Olive Crest does, he offered to do the whole project at cost.” She even got her own chief executive officer to pitch in.

The couple were planning a church wedding. But one day during the Olive Crest renovation, they were looking out from a balcony at its new atrium. Giocondo turned to her groom-to-be to suggest it would be a perfect place for a wedding.

“Everything just felt right about it,” she says. “We had come to believe so strongly in the place.” Erickson said great idea.

Next year’s project: The Boys and Girls Club of Placentia, which has requested renovation help.

Erickson says he’s ready: “It’s been quite a ride so far.”

Private Wealth: For years, Forbes magazine has listed two Laguna Beach sisters, Anne Catherine Getty Erhart and Claire Eugenia Getty Perry (now living in San Francisco), on its list of richest people in America, figuring their wealth at between $400 million and $500 million, depending on the year. Yet, except for a few environmental causes, you don’t see their names in the news much.

In his new book on their grandfather, J. Paul Getty, called “Painfully Rich,” British historian Richard Pearson suggests a reason why. Their father, George, who died from a possible drug overdose, was well known for his excesses in life. Writes Pearson: “Ever since his death, their mother, Gloria, had carefully protected them from further scandal and from press intrusion.”

Pearson notes that they refused to be interviewed or photographed in public, and that one time, when Claire was reached by a reporter by telephone, she replied, “If you want a story, try my Uncle Gordon. He enjoys publicity. We don’t.”

Getting Real: Remember that poignant story about Ann Belles of Huntington Beach, who takes in homeless disabled children? She recently got three of them in a movie, working through an agency that finds Hollywood work for the disabled.

“Where else are they going to get $16 an hour?” Belles says.

Besides, they had a terrific time. The movie, slated for a December opening, is “The Touch” with Tom Arnold and Christopher Walken. Belles says that Arnold “was just great with the kids, real high energy.”

Belles is pleased that Hollywood is becoming more realistic, getting away from using fully abled children to play disabled parts.

“They’re ready to go again,” she says of her youngsters. “They loved it.”

Strawberries on a Platter: “Only You,” “The Great Pretender”--now those are songs that will live forever. Which is why organizers of the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival are delighted to have the Platters as their parade grand marshals this year. As always, the festival is Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27), with the parade on Saturday.

Sure, it will be nice to see the Platters in a parade. What we want to know is: Are they going to perform?

Festival spokeswoman Paulette Kam says that’s still in the works. “We’d all love to hear them,” she says. “But we thought we’d just get them involved first, and then work on the next step.”

Puck Doesn’t Stop Here: You’re still wondering if our local hockey team will make the playoffs? They already have. Not the Mighty Ducks. The South Coast Sabers, who play out of Glacial Garden in Anaheim. They leave for Cleveland Wednesday for the USA Hockey National Championships for their division--the Pee Wee Tier. These are 11- and 12-year-olds who dream of someday playing for the Mighty Ducks. The Sabers have already won the state and Pacific division championships. How’s this for a record to envy: 96-7, with 3 ties.

Wrap-Up: Olive Crest operates 20 area group homes for abused children--serving about 500 a year--and also has its own private school. Giocondo cautions that these are not children to be pitied.

“The children I’ve seen are happy,” she says. “The whole thing is so upbeat, I think that’s why so many of us became such fans.”

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling The Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or sending a fax to (714) 966-7711.