Around Town: Watertable names general manager

Ashlee Fairbanks, a restaurant-industry veteran whose resumé extends from Orange County to Las Vegas, has come onboard as general manager of Watertable at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa.

“I am delighted to welcome Ashlee to Watertable and to our Surf City resort,” Michael Halloran, the Hyatt’s director of food and beverage, said in a statement. “Her years of dining leadership experience, knowledge of the area and enthusiasm for hospitality make her a solid addition as Watertable continues to expand its position as one of Orange County’s newest and most exciting dining destinations.”

Most recently, Fairbanks was general manager of Katsuya at the SLS Las Vegas hotel and casino. In addition to overseeing the restaurant’s opening in August 2014, she led opening programs for nine restaurants at the hotel.

She also has worked at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach and the Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point.

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Homeless charity reaches for fundraising goal

On a day when many partiers count down toward the new year, Off the Streets — Huntington Beach will count to a number much bigger than 10.

The charity, which launched in 2014, will count toward $60,000 — the amount it hopes to raise to provide housing for homeless residents in the coming year. To help achieve that goal, Off the Streets will present its first walk/run event Dec. 31 near downtown Huntington Beach.

From 9 a.m. to noon, starting outside First Christian Church at 1207 Main St., participants can walk a 1-mile loop and garner pledges for each lap they complete. According to founder and President Larry Burns, Off the Streets has already raised nearly $59,000 this year, and any funds exceeding the overall goal will go toward a warehouse for donated furniture.

“It’s really about community building and community awareness,” Burns said. “We want to place more people than we did this year. Our goal last year, when we did fundraising for this year, was to place over 100 people, which we’ve done. Next year, we want to increase that to 120 people.”

So far, the charity’s biggest fundraiser in 2015 was an October dinner that netted around $15,000, Burns said. Private donors and grants have covered much of the rest.

For those who donate their New Year’s Eve morning to the cause, Off the Streets is providing an added incentive: The person who raises the most money will win a new iPad Mini.

In addition to any pledges, walkers and runners must pay a $5 registration fee. For more information, visit offthestreetsnow.com/hb/walkrun-event.