Big Kids Raise Big Bucks for Museum

More than 150 grown-ups played musical chairs, ate snow cones and simply refused to act their ages at Saturday’s Big Kids Party at the Newport Beach home of Bob and Martha Fluor.

The informal back-yard carnival was the sixth annual fund-raiser for the Children’s Museum at La Habra and was staged by the Children’s Museum Guild. The $50-per-person event was expected to raise more than $10,000 for the museum.

Clowning Around

For the party-goers, the affair was a chance to indulge in a few of summer’s childish pleasures.

“People go to a lot of really formal parties. Here they can wear shorts and tennis shoes,” said Cathy Michaels, museum director, who showed up in a black and white clown outfit. “It’s almost like a big back-yard barbecue.”

In keeping with the party’s circus theme, adults dressed like clowns, painted their faces and even performed their own silly circus acts. One team, the Great Schnozolas, wore long balloons on their noses and pretended to perform a high-wire act. Another group staged a flea circus.

“People can come here and be a big kid for a night,” said event chairwoman Cheryl Turner.

“We see a lot of fighting over the musical chairs,” said Martha Fluor, a member of the museum’s advisory board. “Some of them are real aggressive.”

(A few adults got so carried away during the game that guild president Missy Fleet ended up with a black eye.)

Kiddie Treats

Guests wandered among stands set with lemonade and margarita snow cones--off-limits to the few real kids at the party. When 11-year-old Maggie Fluor requested one, her mother said: “They’re not that kind of snow cone.”

At the “sit up straight and clean your plate” dinner, party-goers ate made-to-order Carl’s Jr. hot dogs and hamburgers at tables adorned with clown dolls.

The Children’s Museum at La Habra is an active learning center that introduces children to science, history, the arts and humanities.

Also attending the party were big kids Diane Davis, secretary of the museum guild, who showed up in a lion tamer’s costume; Les and Jeanne Barnes; Minnie Butler; Melanie Coward; Karl and Marcia Giesler; Gordon and Andrea Gunn; Barbee Havins; Ann Johnson; Russ and Angela Owen; Heidi Pearce; Steve and Ann Pickering; Maria Dubrauka Pineda; Steve and Pat Prusa; Darrel and Joan Reifschneider; Warren and Margarita Rose; and Mel and Nancy Weinstein.