Top Gift for Childrens Hospital

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has received $3 million (the largest single gift in the hospital’s history) to help construct the Weingart Center for Imaging and Diagnosis. The 15,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed by April, 1991. Each year, more than 11,000 infants and children up to age 18 are referred to the hospital, one of the world’s leading centers for specialized pediatric care.

* City of Hope’s Professions and Finance Division netted $150,000 at the Sports Award Dinner honoring Wayne Gretzky, March 8 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Fellow Canadian Alan Thicke emceed the event attended by 700 guests. Proceeds will be used to establish the Wayne Gretzky Research Fellowship at the Medical Center.

* Love Is Feeding Everyone and Lifesavers’ benefit fashion show luncheon March 22 at the Beverly Hilton, attended by 900 guests, netted more than $90,000. LIFE, begun in 1983, fed 400 people weekly in Los Angeles and now feeds 67,000 weekly. A portion of the proceeds will be used for equipment and other necessities to solicit food for the homeless.

* Volunteers of America’s benefit gala dinner, March 22 at the Century Plaza, netted $150,000, according to Bob Pratt, president of VOA, Los Angeles. The money will be used to help establish alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment centers in the Soviet Union. Co-chairs were Armand Hammer, Charlton Heston and Michael King.

* Organization for the Needs of the Elderly (ONE) received a $3,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation March 23 to be used at its Resource Center in Reseda for 20 day-care participants who suffer from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia and strokes.

* Alzheimer’s Assn. held its fifth annual awards luncheon March 23 at the Four Seasons Hotel. Home Savings of America sponsored the event. The $10,000 net proceeds will continue research for the prevention, cure and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and provide assistance to afflicted patients and their families.

* Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s ninth annual Marine Scholarship Ball held March 24 at the Century Plaza Hotel was attended by more than 700 guests and netted more than $100,000 for scholarships for the sons and daughters of Marines and former Marines.

* El Rescate’s third annual Oscar night benefit party held March 26 at Mondrian Hotel was sponsored by Reebok International Ltd./Human Rights Projects and netted about $90,000. The funds will be used to continue social and legal services and human rights work in the refugee community. The event was hosted by Esai Morales and Edward James Olmos and others. Diane Jacoby is executive director.

* Hathaway Children’s Services received a $1,000 donation from the Alice O’Neil Avery Foundation in San Juan Capistrano. The contribution will be used for the production of the first student yearbook published by Hathaway, to be distributed to the students in June.

* Southern California Conservatory of Music has received a $50,000 grant from the Fritz B. Burns Foundation. A portion of the grant will go to the building fund and a portion will award scholarships to students unable to pay their own tuition.