Chipping in and sailing for research

Christine Carrillo

NEWPORT BEACH -- On your mark. Get set. Sail.

Beginning the race at the jetty entrance at Newport Beach Harbor,

participants will race to Dana Point Harbor in the hopes of getting their

name on the crystal Wesley Hawkins Bowl.

As part of the sixth annual Volvo Leukemia Cup Regatta, co-sponsored

by the Bahia Corinthian and Dana West yacht clubs, participants from

three separate divisions will compete not only for the love of sailing

but also to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research.

“I got involved simply because the idea of sailing and helping to fund

the research . . . seemed like a good way of giving back to the

community,” said R.J. Lewy, chairman of the regatta.

The races will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, but will

also include silent and live celebrity auctions to help raise money for

funding.

Kerr Smith from “Dawson’s Creek” and Cindy Williams from “Laverne &

Shirley” are just two of the nearly 20 celebrities who have decided to

participate in the event. Other celebrities from “Baywatch,” “Passions,”

“The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless” will also

attend to present auction items and participate in the sailing event as

well.

Racers also have motivations to raise money for the cause, Lewy said.

Racers who raise more than $7,500 will receive an all-expense paid

fantasy weekend to New York City, which will allow them to participate in

racing activities at the exclusive New York Yacht Club.

Lewy has won the racer’s fund-raising award for the past three years.

“One of the unique things about the regatta is that the money goes to

local research and patient care,” Lewy said.

After raising more than $250,000 last year, the regatta has become the

largest in the country and has raised the top amount nationwide, Lewy

said.

Part of the regatta’s success is due to the numerous sponsors that

support it.

One of the major sponsors this year is the St. Regis Monarch Beach

Resort and Spa in Newport Beach.

The hotel will provide accommodations for the participating

celebrities along with providing packages for auction, Lewy said.

Although the resort had a minor role in sponsoring last year’s event,

since it occurred before the hotel had been completed, they have taken on

a much larger role this year.

“This is a local charity that has great merit and we would like to

help as much as we can.” said Michael Gagnet, vice president of

development for Makar Property, the owners of the resort. “We wanted to

become more of a part of it. . . . It’s a great charity.”

While Gagnet will return as a participant in the race, this year the

event holds a more personal significance to him. His father recently died

from leukemia.

“Research is such an important part of trying to fight this disease

and it helps me to know that the money I know I helped raise will go to

help the next person,” Gagnet said. “Anything I can do to help I think is

what my father would have wanted.”