Sand Sculptors Lend a Hand to Charitable Causes

SEAL BEACH —  As the team of amateur sculptors from Southern California Gas Co. tackled a small mountain of hardened sand Saturday morning, Perry Hallman spelled out their goal for the day.

“This year, hopefully, we will beat Disneyland,” said Hallman, who was overseeing creation of the gas company’s sand sculpture, a boy beckoning to two playful dolphins.

The entry, titled “Friends Helping Friends,” was one of 51 entries in the seventh annual Sandcastle Contest, sponsored by the United Way of Orange County.

The contest that pitted corporate and nonprofit companies in friendly competition marked the beginning of the United Way’s yearlong campaign to raise $22.5 million.

The money, said United Way spokesman Jeff Rocke, will go to fund a variety of charitable programs, from the Red Cross to an array of programs dealing with health care, child care, homelessness and other needs.

“We’re trying hard to emphasize that although this is a day of fun and sun,” Rocke said, “the real purpose of the United Way contest is to help people know that we are there to help.”

For four hours, while beach-goers and family cheerleaders looked on, teams of amateur sand sculptors hunkered down to turn blocks of sand into towering castles, detailed sculptures and free-form objects.

By the end of the day, neither the gas company nor Disneyland took home the trophy for best sculpture.

Despite Disneyland’s dazzling sculpture of characters from the motion picture “The Little Mermaid,” the top honor went to the the nonprofit organization Sand Sculpture Coalition for its rendering of “Hobbit” creatures.

“It was darling,” said United Way spokeswoman Dena Montiel.

Honors for the best sandcastle went to Chevron USA, whose fortress was surrounded by a mermaid-eating dragon.

A special award went to Pacific Mutual for its sculpture of a homeless man and his dog lying in the street. The free-form first-place award went to Kevin Chung and Friends for their creation called “Waves.”

The best first-time entry went to Texaco for its carving of seals on the beach. The award for the most team spirit went to Lucky Market for a sculpture called “At the Hop.”

And the most humorous award went to Unocal for a sculpture called “Conserve Water, Bathe with a Friend,” in which a boy taking a bath is horrified to discover an alligator swimming in the tub.

“Last year we did an offshore oil rig,” said Unocal employee Marie Nixon. “That didn’t go over at all.”