The Crowd:

The Beckstrand Cancer Foundation raised $800,000 at the sixth annual Diamond & Pearl Ball at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach.

The black-tie gala, an Evening in Wonderland, attracted more than 400 guests and paid tribute to a distinguished member of the local medical community, Dr. Robert Dillman of the Hoag Cancer Center.

The evening also honored Women of Hope Jan Salta, Joni D’Amato, Tami Kahn, Tara Shapiro, Laura Cross, Tracy DiGiorgio and Susan Franklin.

A significant part of the success of the evening came from a tremendous auction effort.

Donations from Neiman Marcus, Fashion Island, the Resort at Pelican Hill and many other contributors helped to raise the bar on the financial success of the ball. Major donors included Southern California car dealer Mike Salta and his beautiful bride, Jan, George and Eden O’Connell, and Blaine and Renetta Caya.

Newport’s celebrity chef, Jamie Gwen, was on hand for the party. She donated a fabulous dinner for eight, which brought in $18,000 at the auction, adding to the tally.

Another highlight was the generosity of designer Oday Shakar, who offered to create a couture gown for the highest bidder. There was so much interest Shakar agreed to donate three creations.

Special recognition was paid to gala Chairwoman Kristen Prosser. Prosser has served as chairwoman of the Beckstrand event for all six years of its run in Newport. She extended heartfelt thanks to the event sponsors, including Neiman Marcus, Van Cleef & Arpels, Pearl Vodka, and Rob and Lydia Mondavi.

Founded in 1974 by Dr. Grant Beckstrand, the cancer foundation has been working for more than 35 years to support those struggling with the disease. Specifically, their mission is to offer individual patient assistance that is tailored to the needs of the cancer patient and includes financial assistance, patient advocacy, counseling and everyday practical help combined with aggressive scientific cancer treatment to assist the individual in fighting the disease.

Lil Spitzer, executive director of the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation, beamed with pride as she told the crowd, “This year, in light of the soft economy, we wanted to create an event that offered our guests an evening filled with whimsy, hope and promise.”

In the elegance of the Balboa Bay Club ballroom as the crowd dined and danced and shared their common purpose of fighting cancer, ultimately raising more than $750,000, it is surely safe to say that Spitzer’s hope was realized. To find out more about the Cancer Foundation visit www.Beckstrand.org.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.