Fund-Raising Season Revs Up

It’s the season for fund-raisers. The motivation for giving can sometimes be a cause, admiration for a friend, or maybe just the thought of a boy with an eye patch. . . .

A group motorcycle ride to such places as Big Bear is quite a kick for people like Bill Thompson of the local Dualies Sports Motorcycle Club. It’s even more exciting when you’re riding for a cause.

The Dualies is one of several local motorcycle clubs that support the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The clubs often “adopt” young patients as “mascots” and take them along on some of their outings. “One precious little kid wears an eye patch,” Thompson said. “One of our mascots died from a second operation. Once you meet them and hear their stories, you’re hooked.”

Coming up is a big weekend for local motorcycle groups supporting the foundation. On Saturday, there’s the annual Motorcycle Parts & Accessories Parking Lot Sale, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Cobra Engineering, 4915 E. Hunter Ave. in Anaheim. Various motorcycle clubs or shops have donated thousands of dollars of new and used motorcycle parts, accessories and clothing for the sale, with every dime of profits going to the foundation. (You can also win a new Honda motorcycle.)

Then, on Sunday is the annual Ride for Kids, which will include hundreds of off-road motorcyclists from throughout Southern California. The fund-raiser ride to the Big Bear area begins and ends at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino.

The ride itself is preceded by a program put on by the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Speakers include researchers, parents of children with brain tumors, and sometimes the children themselves.

“It can get pretty emotional,” said Thompson, spokesman for these events. “We just need to let these kids know they aren’t alone.”

If you are interested in riding, registration at Glen Helen is 7 a.m. Or you can call (800) 253-6530 for more details.

Stroking His Feathers: Harold Norris of Newport Beach is not a Native American, but he proudly goes by the name of Two Feathers. It was an honorary title bestowed upon him by the Cherokee tribe during the years he lived and worked with its people.

“Poets and Artists for Two Feathers” will be a fund-raising gathering Wednesday night at the Alta Coffee House, 506 31st St. in Newport Beach. Norris suffers from a disabling disease that attacks the vertebrae. His friends are trying to raise money for needed surgery.

“This is someone who has been doing for others all his life. Now he needs our support,” said Lee Mallory, who teaches poetry at Santa Ana College and organizes numerous local poetry events.

The event is free, but contributions will be collected during a series of poetry readings.

Squaring Off for Youth: Lee Schmidt of Anaheim is one of those easygoing types who answers just about anything with, “There you go.” (“Is this Mr. Schmidt?” “There you go.”)

In tracking down money raised for charity at local square dance events, I got a call from David McHaffie of the Buttons and Bows group. He told me Schmidt is a leader among professional square dance callers who will give up their usual paycheck if a dance is to raise money for charity.

So I called Schmidt, who mused he could wallpaper a room with the certificates he’s received the past 20 years for his volunteer efforts--cystic fibrosis, the Girl Scouts, March of Dimes, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, City of Hope, to name a few. Last year, Schmidt waived 14 of his paychecks for such events. At a Sunday dance in Anaheim, for example, Buttons and Bows raised close to $3,000 for cancer research for youth, with Schmidt among the volunteer callers.

I told Schmidt it must be gratifying to perform a task he loves and help such good causes at the same time.

“There you go,” he said.

Jerry’s Gala: Some fund-raisers bring in huge bucks. The Muscular Dystrophy Assn. dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine on Saturday night, for example, raised $50,000 for “Jerry’s Kids.” (Entertainer Jerry Lewis is its national chairman and chief fund-raiser.)

The local chapter’s special award went to Paul Musco of Newport Beach, chairman of Gemini Industries Inc., in Santa Ana. Musco is both a leading philanthropist and fund-raiser for MDA.

Clean Ashtrays: One of the county’s really fun gatherings each year is the annual Big Breathe Easy put on by the American Lung Assn. This year’s event will be March 21 at 6:30 p.m., at Remick’s Restaurant in Irvine. You can bet there won’t be any smoking, even outside.

Actually, most of the money raised by the local chapter of the American Lung Assn. doesn’t go for anti-smoking causes. It’s for research and programs for lung diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema and lung cancer. Tickets are $100, but you get that much in vouchers for the gaming tables that will be set up. Call (714) 835-LUNG.

Wrap-Up: For some gatherings, raising money isn’t important, but toasting a dear friend is. A packed house is expected at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel in Anaheim on March 21 for the retirement party for Ronald Y. Butler, this county’s public defender for 16 years. He’s won a lot of important courtroom battles, but his greatest victory was coming back to work after battling throat cancer last year.

In my years around Orange County, I’ve never seen any criminal lawyer so beloved by all sides of the aisle--a great number of prosecutors and judges will be on hand for the festivities. Only a few seats are left ($50), which you can request through the public defender’s office at (714) 834-2144.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com