Romance of the Mission Benefit Gala Returns

Mission San Juan Capistrano will present its Romance of the Mission benefit gala on Friday, September 20 featuring Grammy Award winning producer and vocalist Steve Tyrell. Carol and Don Dorkowski will be honored for their extensive support and commitment to Mission San Juan Capistrano preservation efforts. Held on the historic grounds of Mission San Juan Capistrano, Tyrell will perform an intimate concert of his popular jazz standards in the Ruins of The Great Stone Church.

Considered the ultimate Renaissance man, Steve Tyrell’s breakthrough performances in Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II helped reinvent and popularize classic pop standards for modern-day audiences. Tyrell has achieved success as a singer, songwriter, producer and music supervisor in nearly five decades. All nine of his American Standards albums have achieved top five status on Billboard’s Jazz charts.

Tyrell’s work in the studio as a record producer has included collaborations with legendary artists including Rod Stewart (Tyrell received the GRAMMY Award as producer of Stewart’s Great American Songbook Vol. III), Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Mary J. Blige, Chris Botti, Burt Bacharach and Stevie Wonder.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Romance of the Mission gala in their continued efforts to preserve the historic San Juan Capistrano Mission. It will be my honor to perform and I am looking forward to an unforgettable evening,” said Tyrell.

Carol and Don Dorkowski are devoted to Mission San Juan Capistrano and the couple have long supported Mission events with family and friends. Don serves on the Mission Preservation Foundation Board of Directors and frequently represents the board at Mission events. A member of El Viaje de Portolá, Don taught high school English for thirty-five years and went on to officiate collegiate and NFL football games including Super Bowl XXXII. A Pasadena native, Carol works in the family’s global pump part supplier business and supports a variety of humanitarian causes.

Mission San Juan Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence Adams says, “Don and Carol have become beloved ambassadors and can be seen at nearly every event rallying for preservation and appreciation of the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Their generosity and passionate support enlivens our efforts and adds joy to any setting whether a concert or festival. The board unanimously supported their timely recognition after so many years. They join the ranks of outstanding stewards of the Mission and represent the spirit of this place.”

The all-inclusive evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with an opening reception in the Mission’s Front Gardens followed by the honoree recognition, concert, traditional bell ringing and candlelight dinner in the Central Courtyard. Long-time community partner, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, will generously host and serve the four-course plated meal while Rogers Gardens of Newport Beach will donate floral design services and decor.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is located at 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. For information on underwriting or to request an invitation, contact Barb Beier at (949) 234-1323 or bbeier@missionsjc.com. For more information about Mission San Juan Capistrano, visit www.missionsjc.com.

About Mission San Juan Capistrano

Known as the “Jewel of the Missions,” Mission San Juan Capistrano is a historic landmark and museum that boasts of quality permanent exhibits featuring original artifacts as well as traveling and temporary exhibits on a wide variety of topics.

The Mission is also Orange County’s only Mission and is a site of ongoing faith, education, preservation, and cultural event programming. The site includes such original buildings as the Serra Chapel, Great Stone Church, and the original padres’ quarters of the South Wing.

The Mission was founded on November 1, 1776 by Saint Junipero Serra as the seventh in the chain of the twenty-one California missions established by Spain. Over 70,000 fourth grade students visit the Mission as part of their field trip learning about Early California history.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is owned by the Diocese of Orange. Its fundraising entity, the Mission Preservation Foundation, is comprised of business and community leaders committed to ensuring the long term preservation and viability of Orange County’s only Mission. The Mission receives no funding from either the Church or the State of California and must charge admission funds as a means of providing continued public access.

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