The Crowd: Soiree brings French Quarter to Samueli
The Orange County crowd was treated to a summer night in the New Orleans French Quarter by the Philharmonic Society. Organizers billed the gala fundraising evening as a Night On Bourbon Street, and it was created around the Grammy Award-nominated big band sound of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
New Orleans west was a transformed Samueli Theatre at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The extravagant Saturday evening soiree was co-chaired by Kathy Hamilton and Bobbitt Williams, attracting a sold-out crowd of O.C. social activists.
Among the glitterati were Bette and Wylie Aitken, Carol and Kent Wilken, Maralou and Jerry Harrington, Laila and Bill Conlin, Marsha and Darryl Anderson, Marta and Raj Bhathal, Ruth Ann and John Evans, Marybelle and Paul Musco, Sharon McNalley, Sabra Bordas and Elaine Weinberg. Proceeds from the event are expected to top $100,000 net. The money will benefit youth music education programs sponsored by the Philharmonic Society.
The night at the Samueli kicked off with a cocktail reception, Cajun style, with waiters offering New Orleans spiced shrimp in polenta sprinkled with Parmesan and bell pepper vinaigrette. Patina Group handled the culinary duties with panache, presenting a three-course Southern dinner to patrons beginning with an heirloom tomato salad followed by an entree of Creole spiced beef tenderloin served on caramelized potato puree.
For dessert: bourbon chocolate croissant bread pudding served with salted caramel ice cream and bacon popcorn tuiles. The crowd went mad over the sweet treat.
From dinner to the dance floor, the Clayton-Hamilton orchestra delivered the vibe. Guests enjoying the music and bidding on auction items included donors Marti and Kenton Anderson, Anne and David Rosenberg, Shell Grossman and Lind Rahn, Karen and Phil Ridout, Elaine and Carl Neuss and Gary Capata.
O.C. sixth-grader Maxwell Ramirez, accompanied by his teachers Ethan Reed and Julie Metz from the Savannah School District in Anaheim, performed two numbers on his bass, which was provided by the Philharmonic Society’s Strike Up The Band program. The program puts needed new instruments into Orange County schools.
“Maxwell was able to discover his passion for the bass, and I am told he diligently practices his instrument after school and during weekends,” event co-chair Hamilton said.
Maxwell’s performance launched the Fund A Need portion of the event, which raised $39,000 for the society.
Committee members working to support the society included France Campbell, Carmela Du, Joanne Fernbach, Jane Grier, Adeline Yen Mah, Pamela Paul, and Jeule Stein, to name only a few. Dedicated Philharmonic supporters were Armine and Vahe Meghrouni, Anne Yap, Luciana and Donald Marabella, Margaret Gates and Jim Maloney, Dee and Larry Higby, Milena Kitic and William Hall and David Masone.
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Making the most of the summer
It was the Summer Bash for the Noble Viking Charities of Orange County. The Island Hotel in Newport Beach welcomed hundreds of Vikings and their Nordic princesses on Saturday to a 2015 summer celebration in the Island’s Cabana Room.
Cocktails flowed at sunset as the arriving crush in tropical Newport attire descended. Viking Charities is a men’s fraternity dedicated to raising funds in support of needy families in the O.C. at holiday time. Each year, Viking’s volunteers prepare food baskets that are stocked to the brim and distribute them to charities including the Boys and Girls Clubs, Orangewood Children’s Foundation, Civic Center Barrio Housing, Saint Michael’s Society and Pio Pico Elementary School, among many others.
The principal donor of the night was the Hausman Foundation, presenting a $13,000 check from Mary Jo Hausman and her daughter. The Hausman family members joined additional generous sponsors of the party Mike Knapp, Brett Hardin, Glenn Bianchi, Wayne Smith and Steve and Michelle Holbert.
By the end of the night, more than $40,000 was raised from the dinner and auction. Raffle and auction donors included Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Maui, Pacific Edge Hotel and Island Hotel along with restaurants Billy’s at the Beach, Bluewater Grill, Balboa Bay Resort, Roy’s, Fleming’s, Provenance, 333, Gulliver’s, Antonello Ristorante and Bianchi Winery.
THE CROWD runs Fridays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
