Anchors Ashore

The event: S.S. Caribbean, a cruise-themed casino night benefiting the Huntington Youth Shelter. The shelter guild staged its eighth annual gala Saturday at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Tennis Club.

Anchors aweigh: To make the 260 guests feel as though they were touring the Caribbean aboard ship, party planners decorated the ballroom with silver palm trees, fishing nets and life preservers. “We want people to feel like . . . they’ve been invited to the captain’s ball,” said Cindy Franklin, gala chairwoman.

Partygoers enjoyed popular cruise activities such as dining on gourmet fare, dancing to a steel drum band (Island Fever) and spending time at gaming tables for the chance to snag golf, dining or travel prizes.

Offering shelter: The Huntington Youth Shelter provides a haven for runaway, abused or abandoned teens. The Huntington Beach facility houses up to 12 youths for a minimum two-week stay. Counselors and case managers help the youths reunite with their families or find them alternative long-term living arrangements. “They stay here as long as it takes” to locate a permanent home, said Mary-Ellen Cianciabella, shelter administrator.

Quote: “A lot of the youths come here hating the world, and often for good reason. But usually by the time they leave, they’re completely changed. Their manners and schoolwork have improved. Their attitude does a flip-flop,” Cianciabella said.

Bottom line: S.S. Caribbean was expected to net more than $70,000. Proceeds will go to operate the shelter--a program sponsored by the Los Angeles/Orange County chapter of Volunteers of America.

Faces: Barbara Weaver, event co-chairwoman; Donna Klein, shelter guild president; Bill Van Cleve, chairman of the shelter foundation board, and his wife, Pat; Bob Pratt; Mike and Kathy Weiermiller; Jim Franklin; Jim and Lee Swearingen; Kathleen O’Brien; Tom and Pat McDaniel; John Erskine; Bob and Joan Lund; and Bruce D’Eliscu.

Mark your calendar: We Love the Children, a golf tournament to benefit the Huntington Youth Shelter, will be Sept. 17 at the SeaCliff Country Club in Huntington Beach. (714) 960-2298.