Two Rancho Santa Fe couples – one with two sons – were the honorees at this year's Kids Corps USA Gala, held at the Four Seasons Aviara in Carlsbad.
Leadership Awards went to Connie and Bill McNally and to Marian and John Benassi with their sons, Chris, 17, and Max, 15.
All have played important roles in Kids Korps philanthropies.
(The organization – with nearly 6,000 youth and family volunteers in 70 chapters around the country – engages youngsters from 5 through 18 in community service projects.)
Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and Hershell Price were there, and so were Chris and Craig Andrews, Valerie and Harry Cooper (Valerie wore vintage Dior and an emerald necklace), Barbara and Dick Enberg, Madeleine and Dr. Frank Pavel Jr., Kim Pavel Harrison and Chip Harrison, Andrea Naversen, Maree and Michael Mossmer (she wore Badgley Mischka), Jennifer and Michael Spengler, Sally and John Thornton, Kimberly and David King, Doris McCoy, and Dorothy and Bill Menish.
Television interviewer Larry King was the master of ceremonies. (He has chaired the Kids Korps National Leadership Circle for the past eight years.)
Gina and Jerry Loyek were co-chairs of the gala; Bertrand Hug chaired the wine auction; and Collette and Bob Stefanko were advisory chairs.
Planning and producing the black-tie benefit was a committee that included Joe Scafidi, Barbara Scafidi, Ranjitha Kurup, Margaret Piglovski, Robyn Denton, Mia Stefanko, Nicole Bell, Audrey Allison, Laura Harkness, Linda Camarillo, Brian Turk, Diana Burdick, and Marie Daniels.
Other committee members were Sara Taylor, Dr. Keith Kanner, Lori Vitale, Terri Coverstone, Cheri Myron, Ivars Ozolins, Veronica Baker, Megan Smith, Leslie Lamberg, Pam Culver, Nicole Matthews, Mark Ogle, Kathy Connor, Robin Chappelow, Brian Hawkins, and Sherry Yardley.
Among Kids Korps signature programs are building homes for families on both sides of the border; creating care bags for kids in transition; assembling bicycles for underprivileged youth; and working to beautify neighborhoods.
