Make A Wish Foundation

At a recent art auction at SeaPoint at Crystal Cove, Laing Luxury Homes, Coast Magazine and the Randy Higbee Gallery raised $17,250 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland Empire. More than 200 people attended the auction, where work by local up-and-coming artists was displayed in the model homes at Laing Luxury’s newest neighborhood. The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps grants wishes for children ages 2 ½ to 18 who are facing life-threatening illnesses.

He may have been cooking shrimp, but Newport Beach City Councilman Steve Bromberg felt free to ham it up while serving as a celebrity chef for charity Monday. Bromberg was one of 16 volunteer chefs cooking to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County at Benihana restaurant in Newport Beach. The Irvine office of accounting firm Ernst & Young held the event for 144 current and former employees and clients, spokeswoman Marietta Uebelhack said.

Children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation will be celebrating much more than Fourth of July today. They will be reveling in the completion of their wishes. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting wishes to children who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses or conditions. To recognize kids who have completed or are close to completing their wishes, the Orange County and Inland Empire chapter is teaming up with the American Legion Yacht Club to involve the kids in Newport Harbor’s annual Fourth of July Old Glory Boat Parade.

-- Crystal Lauderdale In my first week at the Daily Pilot, I've learned that the folks in this community do some pretty wild stuff. Andersen Elementary School Principal Mary Manos, however, takes the cake. She went hog wild for her students. The joy of photography sometimes stems from the people you come in contact with, rather than the resulting image. Manos, her staff and her students were an awesome group to encounter and a privilege to photograph.

Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfills children's holiday dreams aboard a paddleboat in Newport Harbor. `The coolest thing is watching the kids,' longtime volunteer says. The Newport Princess paddleboat was bustling with kids Monday night. Invigorated by the holiday spirit, they chased after Santa Claus and scurried up and down stairs. They unwrapped presents and delighted in cup after cup of hot chocolate and Shirley Temples. For a few hours, they focused on nothing but being kids. And that's something that these children, many of whom have been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition, don't get to do all that often.

B.W. COOK Former USC star and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who's also an O.C. native son, came back to Newport Beach recently to make a bet with Mercedes mogul Fletcher Jones Jr. Palmer bet Jones that if he could throw a football over the top of the Mercedes dealership, clearing the satellite vehicle facility Jones calls "Stuttgart West," then Jones would write a check for $1,000 to help...

Local boaters are gearing up to participate in the American Legion Yacht Club’s 57th-annual Old Glory Boat Parade on Friday. Registration is free for boating enthusiasts who want to decorate their vessels and participate in the parade. Independence Day festivities will begin with a pancake breakfast 7 to 11 a.m. at the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, 215 E. 15th St. The breakfast will include appearances from Marines from Camp Pendleton and 60 children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Michael Miller Members of the Corona del Mar High School Make-A-Wish Club can rest easy tonight. Thanks to their efforts, so can a complete stranger. Last March, the Make-A-Wish Foundation donated a special bed to a 4-year-old Costa Mesa boy named Andrew, who has cerebral palsy. Andrew, whose identity the foundation has withheld, asked for a bed with safeguards to protect him from hitting the floor if he rolled over in his sleep. The bill for the project came to $4,000 -- an amount the Corona del Mar High club had spent the year raising.

High school club gives girl with kidney disorder a shopping spree; now she waits on donor test results. COSTA MESA -- As she sits after school in her bedroom -- recently furnished with a laptop computer, a digital camera, new clothes and more -- Gloria Barrera waits intently for a gift of a different kind. The Costa Mesa High School senior, who plans to attend Orange Coast College and major in business administration, was diagnosed last year with end-stage renal disease, a kidney disorder.

In honor of 20 years of helping children and families suffering with life-threatening illness in Orange County, the Make-A-Wish Foundation will host its inaugural Luminary Wish Awards. On Sept. 7, Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, along with the mega-popular band No Doubt led by Gwen Stefani, will receive the first ever tributes. Michelle Wells with the Orange County Make-A-Wish foundation commented, "We are recognizing 20 years of local heroes. These are individuals who have extended their genuine graciousness and touched our kids with the power of fulfilled dreams."

J etsun Jacobs' whole life changed at age 8 when suddenly his left eye stopped moving. He was diagnosed with bone cancer. The tumor the size of a lemon was discovered, but a heavy dose of medication wiped it away in six months. But the bouts of chemotherapy over the course of the next two years took their toll, making him incredibly tired. That's when his whole life changed — again. Ten years old at the time, he was given the opportunity by the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Seattle.

There is perhaps no better story to share on New Year’s Eve than one that is all about hope for a better future. Last week, before Christmas, 322 guests from southern California converged upon the Newport Harbor at dusk to board “The Eternity,” one of the spectacular cruise vessels operated by Electra Cruises. Among the guests were 57 children, all associated with a group that has become nationally recognized as The Make-A-Wish Foundation. Thanks to the generosity of Electra Cruise owners Randy and Linda Guin ther , who provided the boat, the food and the beverages at no charge, and 17 of their dedicated crew members who volunteered their time to entertain the children and their families, it was a spirited and joyful evening.

The tears came Monday morning at St. Joachim?s Parish School as a young leukemia survivor told the first-graders how the Make-A-Wish foundation made it possible to fulfill his dream to go to Disney World. The boy, who declined to be identified, was a living testimonial to the students who collected $1,615 in fundraisers to give to the foundation. This money, raised over the last two weeks by the school?s first-grade class, will be used to give a Costa Mesa girl fighting cancer the computer she wants so she can keep up with her schoolwork while going through treatment.

Children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation will be celebrating much more than Fourth of July today. They will be reveling in the completion of their wishes. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting wishes to children who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses or conditions. To recognize kids who have completed or are close to completing their wishes, the Orange County and Inland Empire chapter is teaming up with the American Legion Yacht Club to involve the kids in Newport Harbor’s annual Fourth of July Old Glory Boat Parade.

Local boaters are gearing up to participate in the American Legion Yacht Club’s 57th-annual Old Glory Boat Parade on Friday. Registration is free for boating enthusiasts who want to decorate their vessels and participate in the parade. Independence Day festivities will begin with a pancake breakfast 7 to 11 a.m. at the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, 215 E. 15th St. The breakfast will include appearances from Marines from Camp Pendleton and 60 children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

At a recent art auction at SeaPoint at Crystal Cove, Laing Luxury Homes, Coast Magazine and the Randy Higbee Gallery raised $17,250 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland Empire. More than 200 people attended the auction, where work by local up-and-coming artists was displayed in the model homes at Laing Luxury’s newest neighborhood. The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps grants wishes for children ages 2 ½ to 18 who are facing life-threatening illnesses.

When I walked up to the entrance of Maggiano's Little Italy I took it as a good omen that Frank Sinatra's version of "Night and Day" was playing. Though Sinatra's Italian heritage is undeniable, his sense of style is what defined him and therefore can set the tone for a restaurant. The dining room is well appointed with dark wood chairs and tables. Soft lighting accents the quaint atmosphere, though the room is actually quite large. It immediately struck me as a great place to bring a date.

Getting to Catalina Island usually takes less than two hours by boat. But Lindsey Eastman's planning to take the — you might say — more scenic route. She plans to swim it. It'll take about 20 hours, but at least she won't be alone. Eastman, 22, of Huntington Beach and five friends will set out at 10 p.m. on April 13 on a journey to cross the channel between the Southern California coast at Palos Verdes and Parsons Landing in Catalina Island to raise money for charity.

As the vessel Camelot cruised through Newport Harbor on Wednesday night, Christmas was everywhere. White lights adorned most of the vessel; almost 200 children ate pasta, veggies and fried chicken with their families; and halfway through the evening, Santa Claus hopped aboard and handed out gifts. It was all for one reason: to give the kids, all beneficiaries of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a good time and a little bit of hope. The Orange County Sheriff's Department and local businesses sponsor the event each year, and numerous deputies attended.

At first glance, Costa Mesa resident Lucas Campanaro seems like the quintessential Orange County teenager. He likes to skateboard, play video games with his brothers, snowboard, and above all, he loves to surf. But Lucas is not typical. Over a year ago, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma , a cancer of connective tissues, and has been undergoing frequent chemotherapy ever since. For Lucas, the most devastating consequence of his diagnosis was simple — no surfing. "I wasn't scared or anything," the 15-year-old said.