The Crowd: SPIN celebrates assisting 750 families last year during event at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club
With the ever-growing needs of unhoused people living on the streets of America, Costa Mesa-based Serving People In Need (SPIN) successfully concluded another year in its three decades plus mission of housing families in Orange County.
SPIN rescued some 750 families with children in 2022, coordinating housing and related services including healthcare, employment counseling and financial guidance. An end of the year gathering of loyal SPIN donors unfolded at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Corona del Mar, celebrating the season and raising significant funds to launch its programs in 2023.
Major support aimed at taking children from sleeping in the back seat of a car into a bed of their own came from Jill and Curtis Scheetz, Kim and Dick Crawford, May Lou and Wayne Shattuck, Al and Susan DeGrassi, Kate Donegal, Rachael Owens and many others.
Seeing the light
Orange County devotees in support of the life-changing work of the Doheny Eye Institute (DEI), known as the Luminaires, joined forces for an annual year-end general meeting and luncheon at the California Club in Los Angeles, which featured a holiday fashion presentation curated by Pearls of San Marino and Newport Beach.
President of the ladies auxiliary, Fran Biles, joined organization treasurer Judy Kloner presenting Dr. Deborah Ferrington and Molly Ann Woods of DEI a significant check in support of the Institute’s programs.
Benefit luncheon chair Hilary Crahan welcomed the crowd, including a large contingent of Newport-Mesa women. Front and center were Liz Shonk, Kandy Wopschall, Winnie Reitnauer, Susan Wofford and Mary Cooper. Also supporting Doheny Eye were Betsy Ulf, Jan Rose, Sharla Durant, Nancy Cole and Suzanne Coulter.
Landmark recognition
The Los Angeles Times recently named the Balboa Island Museum of Newport Beach as one of the “outstanding” museums in Orange County. As a local depository of much-loved coastal heritage, the museum, in the very dedicated passionate hands of museum founder Shirley Pepys and executive director and daughter Tiffany Pepys Hoey, is planning a full year of special events coming in 2023.
Most importantly, a fundraising campaign will kickoff with quality gatherings themed around the nautical history and love of Newport Beach, past, present and future. Unique exhibits slated for spring and summer will feature the 100-plus year legacy of the Theodore Robins Family Ford dealership, one of the first in California starting in the 1920s on Balboa Peninsula. Plans are in the works to exhibit the Disney-Orange County legacy in the spring, as well as a photographic celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Balboa Bay Club in the summer, a Coast Highway institution in Newport Beach.
The museum team ended 2022 on a high note following its second annual Fun Zone Festival and fundraiser. Some 250 revelers turned out for the party on the peninsula featuring a carnival atmosphere with dinner, dancing, and plenty of local reminiscing among long-time friends. Major underwriting for the annual event was provided by the Argyros Foundation, in particular, Julia Argyros, who has been a mainstay of vital support for the museum over many years.
This year marks the launch of a campaign to raise financing for a permanent museum building to preserve the nautical legacy for the next 100 years. Coming up on Jan. 18, the museum will welcome Newport philanthropist and new author Barbara Bowie presenting her book detailing her personal life story overcoming multiple sclerosis. Call the museum at (949) 675-3952 for reservations and information.
Welcome aboard
Adopting a nautical theme, the Orange County Chapter of Childhelp recreated Aaron Spelling’s famous television series, “Love Boat,” inviting guests to come aboard at Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach for its annual dinner gala with dancing and gaming, pure cruise style.
It was Childhelp’s eighth annual end-of-year party and fundraiser led by co-presidents Pam Pharris and Gina Van Ocker. Ladies at the helm of the party were Jacquie Casey and Gina Van Ocker, working with the men’s co-chairs Scott Amling and David James. Title sponsors of the evening were Jacquie and Michael Casey.
Spotted in the crowd were founders Patti and Jim Edwards, Diana and Chris Miner, Tami and Brad Smith, Tracy and Mike Abel, Garret Abel, Joyce and Mark Simon, Bill Peters, Patricia Ford and Katherine Meredith.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
