September’s Flurry of Events Racks Up Generous Returns

The social terriers hit the ground running right after the Labor Day weekend. Here are some of the doings that took place around the Southland in September. . . .

The Kids Talk Foundation’s Block Party Concert staged Sept. 3 at the CBS Studio Center raised $30,000 to support the foundation’s various programs for youth. . . .

On Sept. 5, the California Art Club Gallery, a nonprofit gallery in the historic Old Mill in San Marino, opened its exhibition, “Plein Air Paintings of The Old Mill,” by members of the California Art Club. The exhibition will be on view through Dec. 3. . . .

Dick Hale, founder of the annual Mac Tonight black-tie dinner dance to benefit the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, reports the ninth annual event on Sept. 9 raised more than $250,000. . . .

Peggy T. Cherng, president and CEO of Panda Management Co. Inc., and Robert L. Spivak, president and CEO of Grill Concepts, were honored with the Spirit of Life Award at the annual gala sponsored by the Foodservice/Hospitality Industry for the City of Hope. The event, Sept. 9 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, raised $300,000. . . .

“Starry Night,” a benefit for the Wellness Community was staged Sept. 9 at CBS Radford Studios in Studio City, and raised more than $36,000 for programs for people with cancer and their families. . . .

Kids 4 Kids, a family comedy show, staged at the Irvine Spectrum Center on Sept. 10, raised $3,800 for Ronald McDonald House. . . .

In celebration of the opening of its exhibition, “Let the Games Begin: The Pasadena Historical Museum Celebrates the Olympic Spirit,” the benefit gala at the museum on Sept. 10 raised more than $110,000 for educational programs. . . .

The kickoff party for Divine Design 2000, a holiday shopping event to benefit Project Angel Food, took place on the rooftop of the Beverly Center on Sept. 12. The opening-night gala is set for Nov. 30 at Pacific Design Center and remains open to the public Dec. 1-4. . . .

Heather Haaga, chairwoman of the elegant Huntington Ball on Sept. 16, sends word that a record $200,000 was raised for the restoration of Arabella and Henry Huntington’s historic Beaux Arts mansion, now the home of the Huntington Art Gallery. . . .

Five Acres 13th Annual Invitational Golf Classic at Glendora Country Club netted more than $70,000 to support the Altadena-based agency’s child abuse prevention, treatment and education programs.

Summer Blast 2000 Custom Car Show, an annual exposition at Santa Anita Race Track on Sept. 10 to benefit the Highland Park-based Optimist Youth Homes’ auto repair shop program, raised $5,000. . . .

On Sept. 13, at Los Verdes Golf Course in Palos Verdes, the second golf tournament sponsored by Moore & Assoc. Realtors of Torrance generated $5,000 for Optimist Youth Homes. . . .

USC University Hospital Guild’s first benefit “Remembering” held Sept. 13 honored Maureen Reagan. Proceeds are earmarked for medical student scholarships and the Neurogenetic Institute of the USC Keck School of Medicine. . . .

Southern California arts supporters raised more than $60,000 for the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County at the sixth annual Los Angeles Art Show’s opening night gala reception Sept. 14 at John Wooden Center at UCLA. . . .

Pretty in Pink, the third annual cocktail party at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens on Sept. 14 to benefit AIDS Service Center, raised $28,000. . . .

Richard Thomas was on location for a film, but his co-chairs Diane Morton and Martin Massman were on hand to greet 800 Center Theatre Group supporters following the preview of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” on Sept. 15. The parking lot at the theater complex annex on Grand Street was tented for the benefit gala, which provided funding for two New Playwright Awards, along with a hefty piece of change for CTG. . . .

Under the Umbrella, the Southern California Institute of Architecture’s first scholarship dinner Sept. 16 in honor of distinguished alumnus Michael Rotondi, raised more than $35,000. . . .

On Sept. 16, a night of blues and jazz in the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro to support Toberman Settlement House, raised more than $60,000. . . .

“Hooray for our side!” writes arts activist June Wayne. She and members of the ad hoc committee, formed to preserve Norman Zammit’s “black light” Elysium painting, celebrated their successful efforts to save the work with a party Sept. 16 in the studio on East 4th Street in downtown L.A. where it was painted. . . .

An army of more than 1,500 Edison International employees, retirees, their families and friends turned out for “Follow Your Heart” Day on Sept. 16 to volunteer for several nonprofit organizations such as Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, Leroy Haynes Center for Boys and Goodwill Industries. . . .

Victory Cup 2000, a polo event Sept. 17 at Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades raised $70,000 for Access Center, a project of the Ocean Park Community Center to help the needy in Santa Monica. . . .

The 18th American Wine & Food Festival hosted by Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff on the back lot of Universal Studios on Sept. 16 raised more than $650,000 for Meals on Wheels programs. . . .

“A Celebration of Life” hosted by the Breeze Fund in Newport Beach on Sept. 17 to support the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation raised $25,000. . . .

September Serenade, a benefit concert for the 60-member West Hollywood Orchestra on Sept. 16 raised $2,500. . . .

More than 700 motorcyclists participated in the second annual Cruise 4 Kids on Sept. 17 to benefit Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children. The bikers, who rode from El Segundo to Otis Chandler’s vintage car museum in Oxnard raised $10,000. . . .

Sanford Deutsch and Ezri Namvar were honored at the annual Tree of Life Dinner, sponsored by the Jewish National Fund on Sept. 20 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. . . .

A Night for Dreamers, the annual fund-raiser for the I Have a Dream Foundation, held at the Skirball Cultural Center on Sept. 21, raised more than $300,000. The event honored Marlene Canter, Beth Colt and P.K. Simonds. . . .

The 16th annual garden party to benefit the Western Center on Law & Poverty paid tribute to Scott Bice, former Dean of USC Law School, La Opinion newspaper and Joan Ling, executive director of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica. The evening, held at the Hancock Park home of Louise and John Brinsley, raised $190,000. . . .

The 41st annual black-tie dinner party, hosted by Childrens Chain of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, held in the gardens of Drs. Barbara Coyne and Jeffrey Handel on Sept. 23 raised $60,000 for the $3-million Cardiology Endowment of the Heart Institute at Childrens Hospital. . . .

Macy’s and American Express Passport 2000, the dual fund-raisers staged in Los Angeles and San Francisco in September to aid HIV/AIDS research, prevention, treatment and care, raised $2.5 million. . . .

Music director Jeffrey Kahane opened the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Season at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Sept. 23 with violinist Joshua Bell as soloist. Immediately following the concert, a gala black-tie benefit dinner dance took place under the stars on the Ahmanson Terrace. . . .

The American Cinematheque Award was presented to actor Bruce Willis at the 15th annual Moving Picture Ball held Sept. 23 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Joe Roth and Arnold Rifkin co-chaired the black-tie dinner, which raised $640,000 to support the nonprofit film exhibition organization’s programs and operation of the historic Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. . . .

Sandra Bullock, Judge Mablean Ephriam and Dr. Michael W. Niccole were honored Sept. 23 at “Sojourn on the Orient Express,” the 19th annual dinner dance at the Regal Biltmore Hotel to benefit Sojourn Services for Battered Women and Their Children. The event raised $200,000. . . .

Un Ballo in Maschera, the lavish Venetian-masked extravaganza staged at Villa delle Favole, the San Marino home of Thomas Schumacher and Matthew White on Sept. 23, raised $80,000 for the newly formed California Chapter of Save Venice Inc. . . .

The cast of the Emmy Award-winning television series “The Practice” hosted the annual brunch to benefit the Rape Treatment Center of Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Stuart House, the center’s program for child victims. Held Sept. 24 at Greenacres, the estate of Ron Burkle in Beverly Hills, it raised more than $500,000. . . .

Members of the Crown Guild of the Lawrence L. Frank Center of Ability First staged their 26th annual Gourmet Festival of Fall, featuring the specialties of more than three dozen restaurants, wineries and breweries Sept. 24. The afternoon event held at Villa del Sol d’Oro in Sierra Madre raised more than $45,000. . . .

The Seventh Annual Celebrity Server Dinner held at West Hollywood’s Palm Restaurant on Sept. 24 raised $50,000 to support cancer research through the National Cancer Prevention Fund and the City of Hope National Medical Center. . . .

From Lake Arrowhead, Dr. Fay Anderson, coordinator of Mountain Meals on Wheels, an outreach program of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, writes that its first fund-raising benefit Sept. 24 netted $11,000. . . .

The Fritz Coleman Fair Weather Golf Classic on Sept. 25 at the Lakeside Club in Toluca Lake raised more than $175,000 for the Salvation Army’s social service programs. . . .

The Assistance League of Southern California opened its Design House 2000 on Sept. 26. The Italian villa in Hollywood is open for viewing Tuesday through Sunday through Oct. 26. For tickets, call (323) 469-1973, Ext. 434. . . .

On Sept. 26, the Foundation for the Junior Blind dedicated Mattel Park, the first play yard in the nation designed for sensory-deprived children.