B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The Junior League of Orange County launched three new projects in the

community and shared its plans for Christmas Company 2000 at a recent

gathering at St. John Home, South Coast Plaza.

The home decor store, owned and operated by the Gray family behind St.

John Knits, opened the boutique after hours in conjunction with the

Underground Wine Journal for a winetasting and hors d’oeuvres reception

in honor of the league.

The league’s new projects include helping Laura’s House, Free Arts for

Abused Children and Olive Crest Adopt-a-House. These new affiliations

will be added to the list of projects supported by the league, such as

the Girls and Boys Clubs of various Orange County regions.

The Christmas Company, one of Orange County’s most visible and

profitable holiday charity events, earmarks funds raised to support these

involvements. Mostl of them are related to the needs of children.

Celebrating 25 years, Christmas Company 2000 will be themed around a

celebration in Paris. To date more than $4 million has been raised by the

event, which is chaired this season by Kim Henderson.

It was all smiles at the in-store reception hosted by St. John

representatives Rochelle Drumm and Hunter Tate. Blair Wallace from the

Underground Wine Journal pressed the flesh with local fans of the

magazine alongside Junior League of Orange County president Kay Matherly.

Christmas Company unfolds this year with a gala opening night party on

Oct. 14, followed by shopping and special events slated through Oct. 18.

For more information, call (949) 263-3785.

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David Hyde Pierce, co-star of NBC’s hit comedy show “Frasier,” stopped

in at the Crazy Horse Steakhouse in Irvine last weekend to support the

Orange County Alzheimer’s Association. Pierce is the national honorary

chair of the upcoming Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk 2000 set for

Oct. 7. The walk will begin at the Irvine Spectrum with some 6,000 people

expected to participate from all over Orange County.

Pierce, who is a major advocate of Alzheimer’s research and help for

those afflicted, has been a significant presence here in Orange County as

well as in many other parts of the nation helping to focus attention on

the Alzheimer’s plight. Some 50,000 Orange County citizens suffer from

this disease. To get involved with the Memory Walk, call (714) 283-1111.

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When it comes to giving back, there is one member of the Newport

Community who deserves major recognition.

James Warsaw, founder and benefactor of the Warsaw Sports Marketing

Center in the Lindquist College of Business at the University of Oregon,

has announced the establishment of the James H. Warsaw Foundation to cure

Parkinson’s Disease.

The new Warsaw giving arm will be associated with the Giving Back

Foundation, most appropriately named given the generous involvement of

Warsaw and his extended family in a variety of causes.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s seven years ago, Warsaw has not let a day

go by or a moment of opportunity pass to advance the cause of finding a

cure.

Reports from various agencies, including the National Institutes of

Health in Bethesda, Md., offer hope to those afflicted stating that a

cure might possibly be on the horizon within 3 to 5 years. If more money

can be raised for research, the hope may become reality even sooner.

Warsaw has joined forces with Marc Pollick, founder of The Giving Back

Fund, to help raise the needed funds from both the private and public

sectors. Based in Boston, Mass., the fund seeks to focus awareness

concerning Parkinson’s through the involvement of individuals with

significant public exposure including sports figures, entertainers,

politicians and business leaders.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.