The Crowd: Bay Club’s 1221 auxiliary hands out $149,000 in scholarships
What began more than 15 years ago as an instrument of community involvement for a small contingent of Newport-Mesa women who came together for social networking, crossed the million dollar threshold of giving last week in Newport Beach.
The women of Balboa Bay Club’s 1221 auxiliary, which takes its name from the club’s street address on Coast Highway, held its 2015 Newport-Mesa Student Scholarship Awards on May 27, presenting grants to 23 students totaling $149,000.
All of the recipients are graduating from local high schools and headed to college in the fall. The “1221” Scholarships rank as the most generous private awards granted in the Newport-Mesa district.
The local women behind the grants have reason to be proud. Grassroots fundraising throughout the year combined with generous underwriting by specific donors seeking to either honor loved ones and/or “pay it forward” to a new generation of young Americans, makes the grants possible.
For the last three years, 1221 has been led by Carole Pickup, matriarch of the Pickup family, who own the resort. She has worked closely with her daughter Devon Martin and daughter-in-law Natalie Pickup and a committee of Balboa Bay Club women to steer the organization into new territory.
The Pickup family’s generosity has doubled the dollar amount of grants and led to the establishment an endowment fund. Their commitment is best illustrated by the words of Martin at the awards presentation. Addressing the full house gathered in the grand ballroom of the Balboa Bay Resort she said, “Why can’t we do more?”
Her sentiment was echoed in the applause of the crowd and the awards committee comprised of Newport-Mesa philanthropists John Wortmann, chairman of the board of governors of Balboa Bay Club; Bay Club Gov. Catherine Thyen; Malcolm Smith, general manager of the resort; Char Armstrong, scholarship committee judge; and 1221 president Carole Pickup.
Wortmann added, “Given the Pickup’s family generosity and with the support of BBC members and the dedication of 1221, we will do more.”
Carole Pickup thanked all in attendance for their generous support and shared that she will be turning over the leadership role at 1221 to longtime member of the organization, Kathy Hamilton, wife of private banker and club Gov. Noel Hamilton.
Students at all local Newport-Mesa high schools are eligible to apply. Each applicant is interviewed and judged on such categories as academic challenge, community involvement, GPA, overall test scores, athletics, oral communication skills, motivation and confidence. Finalists are then evaluated based on financial need.
In the words of judge and master of ceremonies for the awards Malcolm Smith, “Every student is a winner.” Martin added, “We are so proud to assist you as you continue your education and follow your dreams.”
Wortmann was co-emcee of the proceedings and has been instrumental in the awards process from the beginning. He introduced a young man named Dan Stevens, a recipient of the “1221 Pinnacle” grant of $20,000 in 2013. Stevens, a graduate of Newport Harbor High School, is attending Harvard.
“First, permit me to once again thank the Bay Club and the ladies of 1221,” he said. “I love school and I am being exposed to subjects and areas of study I never imagined. Your scholarship has given me the freedom to explore different avenues without the overriding and often harrowing worry about the cost of education.”
Putting it bluntly, Stevens said that without the 1221 grant, he would have had to substitute elective classes with a part-time job.
Wortmann also paid tribute to former Newport-Mesa School Supt. Norman Loats, who has been a pivotal force behind the 1221 grants process from the beginning.
Prior to the presentation of scholarship grants, the crowd was invited to dinner hosted by the Pickup family. Sharing dinner conversation were Balboa Bay Club Gov. Bob Howard; higher education philanthropist Loretta Haugen; active donor at both Chapman University and UC Irvine, Mary Roosevelt; Ann Wortmann with daughter Devon a recent graduate of the University of Arizona; Dick Pickup with son Todd Pickup; son-in-law Kevin Martin; and Bay Club director of membership Aaron Trent organizing festivities.
The 2015 BBC 1221 Scholarship Grants in the amount of $1,000 went to 15 finalists. From Corona del Mar High School grant recipients were, Joseph Vicor Santoro, Matilda Bress and Matt Hollander; from Estancia High School, Jacqueline Villafana, Jeremy Lawrence and Mai Le; from Costa Mesa High School, Hayley Peterson, Matthew Brown, Jennifer Garcia, Anuare Magana ,Elizabeth Aguilar and Trent Teague, and from Newport Harbor High School Melisa Camano, Judson Vandetoll and Rachel Whitelegge.
The BBC 1221 Governor’s Scholarships in the amount of $7,000 each were awarded to Lauren Nakamura from Corona del Mar and William “Sterling” Gates from Estancia.
Accepting the BBC Scholarship Awards in the amount of $20,000 were Taylor Fogarty and Patrick Ong, both from Corona del Mar High School.
Accepting the 1221 awards, also in the amount of $20,000 granted to students receiving the highest honors for academic excellence, Caroline Quigg and Jose Avonce, both from Newport Harbor High School.
Finally, the 1221 Pinnacle Awards in the amount of $20,000 each, presented to students achieving the highest honors in both academics and athletic endeavors were granted to Eliza Jason from Estancia and Trevor Shaw from Newport Harbor.
One young man from Newport Harbor High School, Jose Avonce, a recipient of a $20,000 1221 grant touched a nerve as he accepted his award. “I am here tonight with my mother and grandmother who have raised me. I want to thank them and I want you all to know that I am here on this stage receiving this award because of them.” Avonce’s family stood along with the rest of the audience in an ovation.
For in the end, this was a night all about the passing of a generational torch of hope and promise. Congratulations to all.
THE CROWD runs Fridays and Saturdays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
