Debutantes Make an Entrance and Hear From a ‘Valley Boy’

His Excellency the Most Rev. Roger Michael Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, spoke of Indiana Jones’ search for the Grail at the Social Service Auxiliary’s Presentation Ball, and then exhorted debutantes: “Accept this youthful honor with the responsibility and dedication and commitment that comes with it.” He urged them, as members of “prominent families,” to have “a great hope for other people” and to be “full-time participants in our church and our society.”

Said Gretchen Wayne: “He’s a Valley boy--we went to grammar school together--he was special then.”

Ball chairwoman Jayne Sullivan and her husband, Roger, presented their fifth daughter, Carolyn. The ballroom was adorned with hundreds of hydrangeas by Patty Burschinger.

Other debutantes: Laura Barnoski, Kimberly Cashin, Francesca Chase, Elizabeth Conrad, Kelli Ann Raycraft Cooper, Heather Duffy, Megan Forsyth, Lisa Gurash, Alyce Hamilton, Anne Hammers, Nicole Harnett, Sabrina Kaleta, May Loftus, Charla Ludweig, Kathleen May, Martha McNiff, Sheila McNiff, Michelle Mueller, Julie Nunn, Shea O’Connor, Heather Plut, Anne Schmutz, Katherine Stuppy, Christen Uniack, Sabrina Van Dine, Mary Wilson and Jennifer Woods.

A HIT: Nancy Reagan, “drunk,” “hits” two cars and three trees. It “happened”--all in the good cause of battling substance abuse--this week at the Museum and Science Industry when the former First Lady sampled the hands-on “Lifestyle Choices” exhibit underwritten by the National Health Foundation (NHF).

In the simulation, museum-goers step into a car, push buttons to choose what they want to drink or smoke. Then they take the consequences, hitting trees and cars on a video. Mrs. Reagan is honorary chair of the exhibit.

For the day, Dickinson C. Ross, chairman of NHF, planned a delightful luncheon under a white tent overlooking Exposition Park’s rose garden. Lodwrick M. Cook, chairman of ARCO, underwrote the affair.

And those fighting drugs--Police Chief Daryl Gates and the nation’s drug czar William Bennett were at center tables. Said Bennett: “This drug war will end.” Sitting between Mrs. Reagan and his wife, Gaby, Ross said: “It’s very possible this little project will get on wheels and move across the nation.”

PROOF: Said Wallis Annenberg: “Proof of a person is when idealism is matched by her deeds.”

Friends turned out en masse for the Sephardic Hebrew Academy tribute to her. “I am happy to have so much friendship tonight,” she said, on the arm of her youngest son Charles (just graduated from Duke, and resembling his grandfather, former Ambassador to the Court of St. James Walter Annenberg).

Tossing accolades were Ali MacGraw, Jimmy Stewart and Joan Rivers. “Wallis was the second to call after my husband committed suicide,” Rivers said, and, on a lighter note, she said of Annenberg: “Some people are born with silver spoons in their mouths; she was born with a silver tea service.”

PAST PERFECT: Last year’s Southwest Fest on the lawn at Eileen and Bill Zimmerman’s home was such a kick that people were calling to be on the mailing list for this year. The Pasadena Mental Health Center starred again.

Co-chairs Melinda Winston and Esmeralda Gibson and Marla Carter made a 14-hour buying spree to Rosarita Beach, bringing back bargain baskets and pots for the party’s open-air mercado. Mary Ann Sturgeon won a cameo performance in California Music Theatre’s upcoming “Pajama Game.” It was de rigueur to eat chili in the Frito packages. Doing that were Dave and Holly Davis, Judy Brandt, Sheryl Griffith.

Though the Zimmermans co-hosted, he and his daughter, Amanda Zimmerman, were in Beijing that night. In spite of the uprising, they continued on with three days of tours there and are now in Hong Kong. . . .

The next night, the Pasadena Symphony Juniors capered through a murder mystery gala at the William Leslie estate--chairwomen Dolores Kroop and Linda Shamsid-Deen orchestrating. . . .

And, summer elegance had its forte in lawn games at the Almansor Center Auxiliary’s do in Patty and Davis Pillsbury’s garden.

ABOUT TOWN: Tennis impresario Wendell Niles Jr. hosted luncheon at Val’s in Toluca Lake honoring Prince Rainier of Monaco. Later this summer, Wendell stages a Pro-Celebrity Tennis Tournament in Monte Carlo for the Princess Grace Foundation. . . .

Eileen Eamer can identify with a challenge. She’s a former schoolteacher and she and Peggie Bales hosted lunch at the Bistro Garden for a crowd to say that they’ll co-chair a literacy dinner Sept. 25 at the Beverly Wilshire. They are expecting to honor Barbara Bush. It’s to be staged by Pepperdine University.

20TH ANNIVERSARY: Art Neff headed the Flight Test Historical Foundation’s tribute to aerospace at the Los Angeles Hilton, feting Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins of Apollo 11. Now the Aldrins--Lois and Buzz--are in Paris for the air show and the 20th Apollo 11 celebration before returning for the tour for his new book “Men From Earth” published by Bantam.