Social Circuits

For their extraordinary dedication to education and the enhancement of the quality of life of children in Southern California, Marion and John E. Anderson have received KCET’s 2002 Visionary Award. More than 400 supporters packed the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel ballroom for the tribute, which raised more than $900,000 for the public television station.

“If they wanted to, the Andersons could be honored every night of the week and twice a night on weekends,” said KCET board chairman Bruce Ramer. “But that’s not why they do what they do; they do it because they believe so deeply in giving back the benefits of their own hard work that did not come easily.” Among the beneficiaries of their largesse are the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, the Anderson Building at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the YMCA and the Music Center of Los Angeles County.

“What makes them remarkable,” said Ramer, “is that they are teaching their children and grandchildren the rewards of giving by creating a family partnership in which each member recommends a donation to a worthwhile cause.”

Jess Marlow, co-anchor of KCET’s “Life & Times Tonight,” emceed the doings Tuesday, which included accolades from KCET president Al Jerome, board member Peg Yorkin, Sherry Lansing and Bill Friedkin, Marcia Hobbs, Merle and Peter Mullin, a video tribute created for the occasion by David Nemer, and performances by the UCLA marching band and the UCLA Alumni String Quartet.

Along with two generations of the Anderson clan, attendees included Sherry and Tom Barrat, Barbara Goen, Robin and Gerald Parsky, Carol and Jim Collins, Joanne and Roger Kozberg, Paula Kent Meehan, Louise and John Bryson, Jim Kindel, Phyllis and Jim Easton, Aulana and Bruce Peters, Victoria Simms, Stuart Siegel, Yoshie and Kaoru Hayama and UCLA chancellor Albert Carnesale and his fiancee, Robin Gerber, who revealed that they’ll tie the knot on April 6.

--Patt Diroll

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Burn Foundation

In a benefit that raised more than $500,000 for the Children’s Burn Foundation, cousins and kindred spirits Brindell Gott- lieb and Sheila Weisman were honored for their longtime devotion to children’s causes.

A black-tie crowd of more than 600 turned out for the event at the Beverly Hilton Ballroom. Gottlieb and Weisman serve on the council of the foundation, which was established in 1985 by plastic surgeon Dr. A. Richard Grossman and actor McLean Stevenson to meet the needs of children who have suffered severe burns.

“It’s tough to look at the innocent face of a young burn survivor, and what is even more shocking is to know that the child was injured intentionally by a caregiver or relative,” said Tommy Hawkins, a former foundation honoree, who emceed the event. “The statistics are staggering,” he said. “Every year 440,000 children suffer burns requiring professional treatment, almost half of them under the age of 4.”

Foundation board president Douglas Mancino noted that since the foundation was restructured in 1995 it has raised more than $5 million to aid young patients seen at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital as well as other centers from Fresno to San Diego. The Feb. 27 event was chaired by Lynda Fadel and Barbara Fodor and council president Carol Mancino. The dinner chairs were L.A. Fire Chief William R. Bamattre, Joanne and Roger Kozberg and Andrea and John Van de Kamp.

--P.D.

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Youth Symphony

Renowned pianist Misha Dichter--who played his first concert here while a student at Beverly Hills High School--made a rare Southern California appearance last weekend to benefit the American Youth Symphony.

“These young people are fantastically gifted and respected by their peers,” said Herb Gelfand, symphony board chairman. “Last season we had over 300 applications for just 20 openings. Today more than 100 of our alumni are playing in great orchestras around the world--11 of them with the L.A. Philharmonic.”

The concert at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion featured Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major and Dvorak’s masterpiece Symphony No. 8 in G major, conducted by music director Alexander Treger.

The evening’s honoree, Mehli Mehta, who founded the orchestra in 1964 and led it until his retirement in 1998, was sidelined by illness. Elizabeth Pitcairn, his former concertmistress, accepted the award on his behalf from AYS board member Leah Mendelsohn.

Dichter and his wife, Cipa, also a concert pianist, stopped in at the post-concert dinner held in the pavilion’s Grand Hall, then dashed to catch a red-eye flight home to New York. Yvette Fierstein chaired the dinner for 400, which raised more than $190,000.

Spotted in the crowd were Mary Levin Cutler and husband Gilbert Cutler, Milla Treger, Gabriella Bashner, Dhunmai and Phiroze Dalal, Lois Levin, Leah Brockman, Marion and Ernest Goldenfeld, Hakeem Holloway, Vicki Jacobs, Teddi Silverman and Jack Shine.

--P.D.

Golden Opportunity

Olympic gold medal winner Paul Kariya, a member of the winning Canadian hockey team and captain of Anaheim’s Mighty Ducks, was the star attraction at a Rio-themed casino benefit for the Orange County Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He sat at a gaming table in the ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, autographing jerseys and playing blackjack with dozens of admiring fans.

Winning the gold with his fellow Canadians was a thrill, Kariya said. “But I’m not winning tonight. I’m a bad gambler.”

The athlete was among the more than 20 Mighty Ducks who joined MS Society supporters on March 1 to try their luck in a Vegas-style casino and help raise $75,000 for patient services.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, debilitating disease of the central nervous system with no known cause or cure. It affects more than 450,000 people in the U.S.

Services provided by the society include self-help programs led by peers who have learned to cope with the unpredictable effects of the disease, said Jamie McDonald, chapter president.

--Ann Conway

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Championing Children

Child advocates Brian and Anissa Gurnee of Newport Beach received the Children’s Champion Award from Court Appointed Special Advocates during its black-tie gala at the Sutton Place Hotel in Newport Beach.

Gross proceeds of $310,000 from the benefit will go toward CASA programs that recruit, train and supervise community volunteers to serve as advocates and mentors for the abused and neglected children referred to the organization by the Orange County Juvenile Court.

Also recognized for their work on behalf of abused children were Orange County Juvenile and Dependency Court presiding judge Robert B. Hutson and Bonnie MacDonald. Penske Automotive was named corporate honoree.

Guests at the March 2 event also included Fred and Linda Port, Chris and Pam Massey, Glenn and Susan Schafer, Doug and Kylie Hodge, and Geoff and Lucie Moore.

--A.C.

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Coming up:

* The Los Angeles Master Chorale will honor its music director, Grant Gershon, and celebrate the U.S. premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work Saturday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Gala tickets $150. Call (213) 972-7282.

* The Palos Verdes Junior Women’s Club will host its 44th annual spring fund-raiser, “From Sea to Shining Sea,” at Long Point on Saturday. Tickets $125. Call (310) 378-4637.

* Shelter Partnership will honor Mayor James K. Hahn with the Tom Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award at its 13th annual dinner on Wednesday, March 20, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Tickets $200. Call (213) 688-2188.

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Information for Social Circuits can be directed to Patt Diroll in Los Angeles or Ann Conway in Orange County. Diroll is at patt diroll@earthlink.net; Conway is at ann.conway@latimes.com, or (714) 966-5952.