Center Honors Philanthropists

Larry Higby and Zee Allred

Each year, Segerstrom Center for the Arts honors donors of $25,000 or more as well as Candlelight Concert sponsors and underwriters at the Fire Bird Dinner. This year it was held on the Tier I lobby of Segerstrom Hall beneath Richard Lippold’s sculpture, Fire Bird, which has become a local landmark and signature of the Center. 

Larry Higby and Eileen Cirillo

At the conclusion of the evening, Center Chairman Larry Higby presented the annual Chairman’s Cup award to board member and donor Zee Allred and volunteer extraordinaire and donor Eileen Cirillo. The Chairman’s Cup is given in recognition for extraordinary volunteer service and generosity to the Center.

Photos by Xuong Do

Center Thanks Local Schools

Staff members from the Center’s education and development departments visited Sonora Elementary School in Costa Mesa and McFadden Intermediate School in Santa Ana to thank students in-person for providing musical entertainment during the 37th annual Candlelight Concert fundraiser, which raised more than $1 million for the Center. During Candlelight Concert, Sonora’s Hand Bell Choir and McFadden’s Vocal Ensemble performed at the reception, reminding guests the funds raised from the evening positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of students who take part in the Center’s education programs each year.

To show the Center’s appreciation for the students’ talent, dedication and hard work, staff members presented each school with an honorarium to be used towards their music program.

A big thanks to Nick St. Royal and his students at Sonora and Greg Ellis and his students at McFadden for helping to make Candlelight Concert a huge success!

Photo above: Sonora Elementary School’s Hand Bell Choir performing during the school’s 2010 holiday concert.

Photo above: McFadden’s Vocal Ensemble during class

Photo above: Sonora Principal Christine Anderson, Mesa-Newport Unified School District Board of Education VP Walt Davenport, Mesa-Newport Unified School Disctrict Board of Education Member Katrina Foley, Center VP of Education Talena Mara, Sonora Music Director Nick St. Royal, Stephanie Jernigan and Aimee Cherie from the Center