THE CROWD:Charity abounds in Orange County organizations

Organizers are in the final stages of preparation for the 25th annual Newport Beach Concours d'Elegance. The anniversary celebration is set for Oct. 6 and 7 and will take place at the Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine. The show will display antique, classic and vintage automobiles with proceeds benefiting the Assessment Treatment Services Center (ATSC), and Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute.

I caught up with Newport's dynamic and charitable patroness Catherine Thyen of Camino Shores, who championed an elegant summer party sponsored by Chopard that South Coast Plaza had earlier this summer on behalf of the Concours.

The party attracted some 300 guests to kick off the upcoming car show. Thyen commented, "With great naiveté we took the responsibility to mount an event of this complexity. Our purpose was to develop a different event to raise funds for ATSC. We were so anxious to see this organization survive because we saw how significant it was in the lives of children who, however briefly, were derailed from standard behavior."

Thyen chaired the pre-event party, which was at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, showcasing a spectacular stable of German engineering.

In the crowd were Gerald Aust, Floyd Harmon, Judy Hemley, Candace Rice, Kathy Taylor, Dick Waitneight, and Bruce Junor, chairman of the 2007 Newport Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Also supporting the Concours are Art Astor, Michael Gertner, Penny Fox, Don and Erna Minkoff, Rick and Lucy Rawlins, Tom and Elizabeth Tierney, Kent Wilken, Richard Moriarty and Loren Blackwood. For more information on the upcoming Concourse please go to www.newportbeach concours.com or call (800) 839-7520.

The Public Law Center of Orange County had a dinner celebration recently to honor outstanding volunteers.

The keynote speaker was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The purpose of the Public Law Center is to provide legal services to low-income residents. Both volunteers and staff members provide counseling, education, legal services and even individual representation to those in need.

Last year the Public Law Center assisted more than 12,500 low-income residents, and did so with the volunteer efforts of some 700 pro bono lawyers, paralegals, law students and other staff and volunteers who provided more than 43,000 hours of free legal services.

This year the dinner honored the law firm of Minyard Morris, LLP. The attorney of the year was John Hurlbut Jr. of Rutan and Tucker LLP.