The Crowd: Guests raise $190,000 for the Women of Chapman

Old traditions are difficult to part with. Christmas at the Ritz, celebrating its 29th annual holiday extravaganza, unfolded for a second year at Newport’s swank Island Hotel.

For the previous 27 Christmas holidays, the old Ritz Restaurant, created by the late Hans Prager, was the destination for Newport society coming together to raise funds in support of the Women of Chapman University Guild. The gathering was a virtual treat for the senses.

Women were ultra-fashionable, the aroma of Christmas garland and peppermint wafted throughout the rooms of the Ritz and Prager’s food had no match. Luncheon began with his signature caviar-topped egg, followed by mushroom cappuccino soup, a perfectly seared filet with seasonal veggies and, for dessert, the cream cheese pear tart in flaky dough drizzled with caramel. It was the same year after year, and it never lost its charm or allure.

With the closing of the venerable institution, the Women of Chapman were forced to reinvent their annual staple. Organizers headed to the Island Hotel with the encouragement of Barbara Eidson, who is a long-time member of the Chapman support group and also represents community relations for the Irvine Co. Appropriately, this year Eidson also serves Women of Chapman as its president.

The ladies decided to keep the basic Ritz menu with some adjustments, along with the themed formula of the luncheon, which is a massive giveaway of extremely valuable opportunity prizes, including dining, travel, fashion and jewelry.

The fabulous Youngsong Martin, proprietor of Wildflower Linens, was brought in to dress the ballroom at the hotel, using traditional red and green holiday linens overlaid with gold and red beaded toppers. The ladies also kept the Nutcracker theme, adorning the ballroom sea of tables with Nutcracker centerpieces in all sizes, shapes and hues surrounded by shimmering votive candles to set the mood.

The dynamic Laura Baratta chaired the luncheon event, which unfolded Dec. 5. Baratta was aided by a committee that included the triple Donnas: Donna Bianchi, Donna Bunce and Donna Calvert. Also working to make the luncheon a success were Leslie Cancellieri, Julie Grad, Michaele Hall, Kathy Hamilton, Marci Hollander, Sue Hook, and Charlene Prager.

The effervescent Nora Jorgenson Johnson joined culinary farm-to-table expert Anne Manassero, jewelry maven Mona Lee Nesseth, and patrons Eve Ruffatto, Christine Sullivan, Janet Curci and Sally Segerstrom Andrews. Social standouts front and center for Chapman were Carole and Robert Fullman, Rusty and Bill Hood, Donna and David Janes, Sandra and William Chiles, Joann Leatherby, and Julia and George Argyros, to name only a few.

Chapman University President Jim Doti addressed the luncheon gathering and thanked the Women of Chapman for their recently completed $1-million student filmmaker endowment benefitting the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts students. An additional $500,000 pledge has been made for Dodge College’s Digital Media Arts Center, and another $1 million will go to the new Marybelle and Sabastian P Musco Center for the Arts, set to open in March.

Doti introduced Dean Bob Bassett of the Dodge College and Chapman Chancellor Daniele Struppa, who will assume the university president’s role in the summer when Doti steps down.

While it was a new day for an old tradition, the mood in the crowd was upbeat. A dash of nostalgia blended with the new reality of the times. Table hopping was still the call of the hour, as friends caught up with one another in between an occasional scream of joy when a winning ticket was chosen for one of the valuable opportunity prizes.

Exquisite models from Neiman Marcus at Fashion Island paraded through the ballroom showing off a most dazzling collection of holiday attire. Spotted in the crowd enjoying the ambience were Oliva Abel, Bette and Wylie Aitken, Lula Halfacre Andre, Adrianne Brandes, Nancy Burnett, Patricia Cranford, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Joan and Wally Gayner, Pat and Gene Hancock, and the fashionable Loretta Haugen.

Also spotted in the Chapman crowd were Darby Manclark, Mary Roosevelt, Mary Rubenstein, Pamela Selber, Grace Thelen, Susan Van Cleve, and Carol Wilken. The nearly 300 guests produced net proceeds of $190,000 for the Women of Chapman.

Let us welcome 2016 with a positive attitude that we will meet all challenges with dignity and enjoy the bountiful blessings of life with generous spirit. Wishing readers an abundance of good health, happy days and prosperous times.

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.