Packing the house to build one

B.W. COOK

The Leatherby family, one of Orange County’s most philanthropic

community beacons, stepped up to the plate yet again to create a

residential facility for young adults with learning challenges. Named

Casa de Amma, the nonprofit home in San Juan Capistrano, consisting

of individual apartment residences for its tenants between the ages

of 21 and 29, recently opened and presently serves 10 Orange County citizens. The facility can house 34 residents.

Last week at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort, the swank bay-front

ballroom was filled to overflow capacity with citizens of

Newport-Mesa and all of O.C. coming together for a Saturday night

dinner in support of Russ and Susan Leatherby and Casa de Amma. In

one evening, more than $250,000 in net proceeds was raised.

Organizers were understandably overjoyed.

“This is a first-time event, introducing the community to the

purpose and plan of Casa de Amma,” said Charmaine Day, representing

the event. “We are just thrilled. Of the net proceeds, $100,000 was

raised in the auction.”

All that is clear evidence of the continuing importance of the

charity auction in raising dollars for the mission. Travel was a

large draw at the Casa de Amma auction, with local trips to wine

resorts, mountain getaways and the Northern California Coast bringing

in respectable donations.

The executive director of the residential facility is Susan Wiley,

who joined the Leatherbys in welcoming the crowd at the BBC. Local

women working to support the project included Russ Leatherby’s very

dedicated and equally philanthropic sister Joann Leatherby, Newport’s

Patti O’Desky, Linda MacDonald, Pam Green, Becky Feltman, Karen Blume

and Joan Lautenschleger. Also working for the cause were Barbara

Dorner, Shelly McCroskey, Susan Anderson, Cinda Hoeven, Susan Brooks

and Jo Corbett.

As the white-glove-clad BBC staff served dinner, and an unusual

entertainment act known as the “Hilarious Three Waiters” created a

commotion in the ballroom, pulling a fast one on the unsuspecting

crowd. Following the initial jokes, which included searching for a

supposedly missing ladies bag found in the men’s restroom, the

waiters broke into song and the ballroom gathering was on to the gag.

The very supportive and financially generous group will assist in

granting coverage of residence fees for the young men and women

benefiting from life at Casa de Amma. In addition to housing, the

facility will offer job development programs, training in the realm

of social skills and interaction and guidance regarding health and

life issues. For more information, please call (949) 496-9001, or

visit the web https://www.casadeamma.org.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.