THE CROWD:

Santa Ana Country Club was the elegant setting for luncheon last week for the Camelot Guild in support of The Orange County Performing Arts Center. A hundred well-dressed women converged upon the club on behalf of the Camelot Guild, which was originally started in 1977 by three women: Dorothy Stillwell, Catherine Quick and Ruth DingDorothy Stillwell, Catherine Quick and Ruth Ding.

Stillwell served as the first chairman of the Guild, which began with 25 charter members. Thirty-two years later the organization has grown to a roster of much greater size and influence with many of the charter members still actively involved today. On this particular Thursday, Newport’s dynamic Joan Williams, chairwoman of the guild, welcomed patrons including Elaine Basmajian, Joanne Johnston, Patricia Watson, Marilyn Teslow, and Angela Stollsteimer. Also attending the Camelot luncheon were Jan Jashinski, Fran Applegate, Jan Landstrom, Kathy Rolfes, and Diane Whittier.

The ladies dined on an excellent luncheon with a Mexican theme. A splendid beef tostada in a large flour shell with the perfect dollop of sour cream and guacamole preceded a dessert of flan in caramel sauce, which might have been the best ever prepared on the planet.

The vivacious Nora Johnson, looking very chic and trim, mingled in the crowd with fellow Camelot members Kay Fukunaga, Reta Hawkins, Veneta Moreno, Cheryl Carlson, Janie Kingsley, Corinne Black, and Laura Perry. Dover Shores’ lovely Rita Snyder shared lunch with her daughter, Laurie Veitch. Rita is in charge of entertainment for Camelot.

Over the course of a season the ladies gather six times, and with every luncheon there is a special musical performance that runs the gamut of musical entertainment from pop to classical to everything in between.

The Santa Ana luncheon setting was coordinated by Camelot member Gini Robins, who welcomed special guests from the Orange County Performing Arts Center Debra Adams, Diana Howel and Tom West. West addressed the crowd, offering confidence that the vitality of the center will weather the current economic storm and will indeed survive, grow and prosper in the decades ahead as the cornerstone of culture for Orange County. The Camelot women are dedicated to raising funds to support children’s concerts and a multitude of educational series associated with the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The Orange County Annual Spirit of Volunteerism Awards were announced this week. More than 250 dedicated citizen volunteers will converge upon the Disneyland Hotel April 14 for an awards ceremony and luncheon. The recipients of the high honor “Giving Is Living” award will be Newport residents Glenn and Mindy Stearns.

Since 1959, the Volunteer Center of Orange County has helped to coordinate donations of time as well as money to assist nonprofit work in the community. The Volunteer Center of Orange County is an affiliate of the Hands On Network and they are sponsored by a number of private citizens as well as corporate donors in the community. Some of the sponsors of the upcoming awards luncheon include Albertsons, SavOn, Boeing, Fluor, Wells Fargo, Disneyland Resort, Corinthian College, Beckman Coulter and many more. Tickets to the luncheon are priced at $60 per person and may be reserved by calling (714) 953-5757 or go to www.volunteercenter.org.

The Pacific Coast Wine Festival benefiting the Pacific Symphony and its award-winning children’s educational programs will unfold March 21 at The Island Hotel, Newport Beach. The festival will begin with a 5:30 p.m. wine tasting, including a silent auction and will be followed by a gourmet dinner offering multiple courses paired with a variety of wines. A live wine auction will follow dinner.

The major event will be co-chaired by Mike Kerr, Fred Salter, and Valerie Van de Zilver. The triad will be supported by committee members including Kevin Gray, Kate Peters, Doug Simao, Susan Totten, Steve Daxer, and Barbara Foster to name only a few. The evening’s title sponsor is jeweler Black Starr Frost. Tickets to the evening are priced at $250 per person. For reservations please call Sandra Gee at (714) 876-2363. In addition, the Island Hotel is offering a very special overnight room rate of $199 for guests coming to the wine tasting and party.

Last week in The Crowd we mentioned the upcoming “Wild and Crazy Taco Night” at the Share Our Selves Kitchen in Costa Mesa and mistakenly listed the date as April 20. The correct date is April 30 and it will be as its name suggests — a lively evening featuring many of Orange County’s most celebrated chefs creating exotic tacos to tempt the most adventurous palate. Much-needed funds will be raised by this event which are used to help and provide meals for those in need throughout the year.

For more information, call Elizabeth Evans at (949) 515-5400, ext. 37.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.