The Crowd: Here’s to the ladies (and lasses) who lunch
The glorious spring day in Newport Beach made a perfect backdrop for the National Charity League, Junior’s annual fashion show luncheon held at the chic Balboa Bay Resort.
The spring celebration brings together mothers and daughters graduating from the National Charity League, Junior’s sixth-grade program. The young ladies get their chance to strut the runway, showing off the latest fashions along with professional models all provided by Bloomingdale’s Newport Beach.
The fashion extravaganza held at the Balboa Bay Resort was headlined by Lawrence Zarian, a fashion industry and television commentator. The local chapter of NCL, Jr.’s focuses on building strong relationships between mothers and their daughters from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Emphasis is placed on philanthropy from an early age, with the Newport Chapter supporting three nonprofits: High Hopes Head Injury Center, Harry and Grace Steele Children’s Center and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Throughout the year, the mothers and daughters work together at many functions raising money for these charities. The spring fashion show and luncheon are the culmination celebration of all their work.
The recent Saturday luncheon featured a special element that organizers labeled “Butterflies For Love.” Ladies placed 100 butterfly wishes outside in the garden courtyard adjacent to the Balboa Bay Resort ballroom, displaying simple but profound wishes designed to make a serious impact on the lives of people assisted by the supported charities. Wishes included financial help, the purchase of textbooks, a needed wheelchair and so much more.
Mothers dined on the Balboa Bay Resort’s gourmet steak salad while the young ladies enjoyed chicken fingers and curly fries. The crowd was welcomed by NCL, Jr.’s president Laura Baskurt and joined by Ali Jones, Bonnie Lee, Renée Gregg and Staci Francios prior to the introduction of all the sixth-grade mothers and daughters.
The graduating class of mothers and daughters participating in the annual spring event were Samantha Anderson and her daughter Mary-Grace, graduating from Eastbluff Elementary School; Reesa Emadi and her daughter Darah, graduating from Harbor Day School; Erin Greenwald and daughter Kaitlyn, graduating from the Pegasus School; Annette Juptner-Gonzalez and daughter Ava from Mariners Elementary School; Maryam Mirhashemi and her daughter Chloe, Harbor Day School; MaryMichael Neushul and daughter Sabrina, Harbor Day School; Becky Scanlan and daughter Kasey, from Mariners Elementary; and Pooneh Shakoori and her daughter Shayda, from Harbor Day School.
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Remembering a local hero
The community will gather April 1 to remember lifeguard Ben Carlson, the only guard in Newport Beach’s 100-year history to die in the line of duty. Jeff Reuter, proprietor of 333 Waterfront Restaurant in Newport Beach, will sponsor a celebrity bartender event from 6 to 9 p.m. to raise funds for the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation.
The evening will be hosted by prominent Newport citizens Anne and John Wortmann, the latter the chairman of the board of governors at the Balboa Bay Club, and their good friend Scott “Sarko” Sarkisian.
The hosts hope to attract at least 100 guests donating $100 to the foundation. However, admission to the event for anyone in the community is just the cost of a drink at the bar.
Proceeds will be used to help erect a statue in honor of Carlson and all the young men and women who serve Newport Beach by protecting the thousands of beachgoers who enjoy Orange County’s spectacular coastline. The event is open to one and all in the community; no reservation required. To find out more, contact John Wortmann at johnwortmann@sbcglobal.net.
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CHOC Follies XVIII presents ‘CHOCAGO’
In its 18th year, the CHOC Follies will once again present an evening of song, dance and comedy on the stage of the Robert B. Moore Theatre in Costa Mesa, April 2 to 4. This year’s performance is billed as “CHOCAGO” and is a vaudeville revue of “guys, dames and debutantes.” Created around a Bob Fosse-inspired revue based on the musical “Chicago,” the production is led by founder and executive producer Gloria Zigner, associate producer Lois Augustine, director John Vaughn, music director Douglas Austin and choreographer Lee Martino.
Since its inception, the Follies has netted more than $7 million for Children’s Hospital of Orange County. This year, for the second year, proceeds will support the hospital’s Child Life Department’s Music Therapy Program. Ticket prices for the performances range between $45 and $125. Group sales and sponsor packages are available. Please go to the website https://www.chocfollies.org for specific ticket information and reservations.
THE CROWD runs Fridays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
