Courting Friendships
The event: Celebration of Children, a black-tie dinner saluting volunteers of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County. The gala was held Friday at the Sutton Place Hotel in Newport Beach and benefited CASA, which provides legal advocates for children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.
Flowers and lace: About 500 guests seated at tables decorated in winter white flowers and lace applauded CASA’s exceptional volunteers during the dinner-dance. Event chairman Fred Port--clad in a yellow tuxedo jacket, red satin pants and red patent-leather shoes--kicked off a live auction that featured romantic getaways.
Port even auctioned off part of his ensemble: a gaudy sash covered with blinking red hearts that guest Toni Wilson bought for $5,000. “He wore the hearts because we wanted to have a Valentine’s theme,” said Debbie Abrecht, executive director of CASA.
Speaking out for children: Based in Orange, CASA serves about 500 Orange County children who have been removed from their homes by the juvenile courts. The 250 advocates not only represent the children in the legal system, they become mentors and friends.
Bill and Renee Larsen of Tustin were named CASA Volunteers of the Year. Since 1993, they have been advocates for eight children, from toddlers to teens. “This is about building positive memories for children,” Renee said. “Often they’ve been told they’re no good or to ‘Get out of my sight.’ We show we’re interested in them and we care about them.”
Other honorees: Chris Massey, vice chairman of the CASA Advisory Board and chairman/CEO of EPS Solutions, was named the Children’s Champion of 1999 for generating community support for CASA; attorney J. Michael Hughes, named Judicial Honoree, who worked with the Junior League of Orange County to help found CASA of Orange County in 1985 (there are 650 programs nationwide); American Airlines was recognized as Corporate Honoree.
Quote: “We started CASA because we recognized there was a void and these children were not being taken care of,” Hughes said. “The advocates are more than just a big brother or sister. They report to the judge on each particular case and push for [the child to have] a permanent home.”
Faces: Bernie Beskind, who spoke about his experiences as an advocate; Ron Ainsworth; Richard Gadbois; Brian and Anissa Gurnee; Lucie Moore; Elizabeth Mower; Jim Williams; Mike Heather; Tina Hughes; Doug and Kylie Hodge; and Glenn Schafer.
Bottom line: Celebration of Children was expected to net about $250,000 for CASA. Proceeds will go to recruit and train volunteer advocates.
How to help: CASA has a waiting list of 300 children needing advocates. Volunteers make a minimum two-year commitment to meet with the child three hours a week. Call the CASA recruitment line: (714) 663-9051.