L.A. Times' Ramirez Joins Landscape Architects' Fundraiser

Sullivan Concrete founder Francis Sullivan (left) and Bob Cardoza of Costa Mesa, Calif.-deign firm NUVIS (right) join L.A. Times political cartoonist Michael Ramirez at a Dec. 9 fundraiser for the California Landscape Architecture Student Scholarship in Newport Beach, Calif. Cardoza's sons Perry and Brian knew Ramirez growing up in Orange County, a connection that led to the artist speaking at the fundraiser.

Michael Ramirez, the Los Angeles Times' Pulitzer-prizewinning political cartoonist, spoke at December's California Landscape Architecture Student Scholarship, or CLASS, fundraiser in Newport Beach, Calif.

The event raised close to $5,000 for California landscape architecture students attending state universities in Pomona, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Davis and Berkeley. Orange County's Bob Cardoza of the NUVIS design firm helped found the CLASS scholarship fund in the early 1980s. The endowment currently has about $600,000 in its primary account, Cardoza said in December.

A total of 74 guests attended the fundraiser, which was sponsored by NUVIS, Sepulveda Building Materials, Sullivan Concrete, architect Calvin Abe and others.

Ramirez entertained most listeners with his cartoon art from the L.A. Times' editorial page. Some guests laughed nervously at the more edgy and controversial drawings.

Cardoza sons Brian and Perry grew up with Ramirez in Orange County, Calif. He related one tale from the boys' high school days, recalling a return home after a night out to find the family's home converted into an ?EUR??,,????'?????<

More information on the scholarship fund is available at https://www.laprofession.org/ (click on ?EUR??,,????'?????<