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Friends of CASA, a membership auxiliary of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County, hosted its annual Holiday Luncheon on Friday, Dec. 13 at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point.
This cherished tradition, which began as a Holiday Tea 29 years ago, has raised more than $7.2 million since 1995. This year’s event netted over $630,000, directly supporting CASA’s mission to provide a powerful voice and meaningful connection for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
The Luncheon was chaired by Jennifer Hanlon of Newport Coast and Dana Strader of Newport Beach, alongside a dedicated volunteer committee of 46 members from the Friends of CASA (FOCASA) auxiliary group, led by President Inga Sanders-Marcereau. The event welcomed 452 guests to a stunning reception featuring tray-passed champagne and 162 elegantly displayed auction packages.
A highlight of the reception was the “Starfish Wish Trees,” sponsored by Barclay Butera Interiors of Fashion Island. Guests were able to grant the holiday wish of a child in foster care by purchasing ornaments designed by local artist Timree Gold of Newport Beach. These ornaments represented heartfelt wishes from 203 children served by CASA, ranging from horseback riding lessons and private guitar classes to tickets for Disneyland and Monster Jam.
The ballroom and reception area were exquisitely decorated by Elite OC Productions of Newport Beach and Paul Fenner Florals. Guests were treated to a captivating fashion presentation from Bally South Coast Plaza’s Fall/Winter 2024 Collection, produced by Shannon Davidson Productions. Bally also hosted a Pop-Up Shop featuring luxurious leather goods, apparel, and accessories, donating 10 percent of sales from the event to CASA.
Regan Dean Phillips, CASA OC’s CEO, addressed the audience and shared key accomplishments from the past year, including training more than 200 new volunteer advocates and identifying more than 2,000 family members for youth in foster care, which facilitated 57 new engagements with previously unknown relatives.
“CASAs change the entire trajectory of a child’s life,” Phillips emphasized.
This year’s keynote speaker, Mark Daley, brought a powerful perspective to the stage. Daley, a seasoned communication strategist and public policy expert, is the founder of One Iowa and TheFosterParent.com. He is also the author of Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family.
“CASA is quite possibly the single most impactful organization supporting kids in America – and Orange County sets the bar,” Daley stated. Drawing on his personal experience as a foster parent, Daley shared, “Had the boys we fostered been assigned a CASA volunteer, there would have been someone solely focused on advocating for their best interests. A CASA could have told the judge how the boys were doing, advocated for resources, and been another supportive adult in their lives.”
The Newport Beach-based Harry Bronson and Edith Knapp Foundation inspired giving with a $35,000 matching gift for donations made during the event.
An exciting opportunity drawing featured a stunning pair of 4.4-carat diamond hoop earrings in 18K white gold, generously donated by Exclusive Jewelry Partner Lugano Diamonds of Newport Beach. CASA supporter Nazy Saidi was the lucky winner of this $28,000 prize.
The 2024 Holiday Luncheon was a beautiful and impactful celebration of CASA OC’s work, uniting the community in support of vulnerable children in Orange County.
The Ruby Starfish Sponsors were The Jacqueline Glass Family, The Watson Family Foundation, Wells Fargo & BDO, and Manly, Stewart and Finaldi.
Official Jewelry Sponsor was Lugano Diamonds. The Wine & Champagne Sponsor was Wines of Kings | bhn. Wines of Kings is the premier online destination for the world’s finest wines, offering an extraordinary selection of ultra-premium and hard-to-find vintages sold directly to consumers across the country.
Mobile Bidding Sponsor was Commercial Bank of California. The Entertainment Sponsor was Amazon. Printing Sponsor was OC Vibe. Special recognition was given to CASA supporters who took the opportunity to become a CASA Starlight sponsor, which funds a gift of advocacy to four youth in foster care for a full year through a $12,000 donation. The 2024 CASA Starlight sponsors included an anonymous donor, Ali Bartholomew, Ryan Clemons, Lucy Donahue, Britt Meyer, and Jaynine & Dave Warner.
Friends of CASA is committed to raising funds for CASA of Orange County’s mentor-advocate program for abused and neglected children in the foster care system. Through the annual Holiday Luncheon, Friends of CASA raises awareness, and recruits volunteers and long-term donors to CASA.
This year’s Executive Committee of the Holiday Luncheon was comprised of numerous Friends of CASA members including Zelma Banuelos, Liz Batterton, Lourdes de Quillien, Giselle Deese, Liz deSousa, Jennifer Gonzales-Oxen, Jennifer Hanlon, Rae Harker, Annette Hellmich, Nicole Inal Hutchinson, Molly Jolly, Holly Joseph, Patty Juarez, Deborah Keillor, Sandi Kirby, Leezette Lopatic, Inga Marcereau-Sanders, Christina Markl-Coffey, Colleen Masterson, Kimberly Matties, Alex Miller, Sarah Minakary, Marjie Mros, Regina Oswald, Valerie Ramsay, Joanna Smith, Dana Strader, Briana Verham, Janine Wald and Trisha Yount.
Please visit www.casaoc.org to learn more.
