Hilton Foundation Aids Center

Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind was the recipient of a grant of $380,000 from the Los Angeles-based Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The donation, made in October, is for the purchase of a 3/4-acre parcel of property next to the main facility, 7955 Lindley Ave. The foundation granted the money for additional housing for multi-handicapped blind people, including facilities for blind and deaf residents.

* San Fernando Valley Life Underwriters Assn. hosted a golf tournament Oct. 17 to benefit severely burned children who are patients at the nonprofit Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. The event netted $3,325 for summer camp.

* The Mitchell E. Gordon Memorial Fund has established a $60,000 endowment to benefit the California Special Olympics. The late Mitchell E. Gordon was actively involved with CSO and was a volunteer coach for six years. His friends and relatives formed the Memorial Fund. As of Feb. 1, $10,000 from the fund has been used by CSO to sponsor its last two summer games.

* Windward School’s dinner-dance and auction held Feb. 24 at the home of Isaac and Carolyn Starkman raised $50,000. Proceeds will benefit the faculty endowment fund. Co-chairs were Rafer Johnson and Harold Ramis.

* KCET Women’s Council opening-night benefit performance of “Starlight Express” held Feb. 22 at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre raised $150,000 for KCET, enabling KCET to surpass its $3-million mark in donations to KCET over the past 25 years. Eileen Bradley was benefit chairman; DeAnne Hayes is Women’s Council president.

* The Arthritis Foundation netted more than $70,000 for its San Fernando Valley Branch at the fourth annual Johnny Grant Award Dinner held Feb. 24 at the Warner Center Hilton. Proceeds will be help more than 300,000 Valley residents afflicted with arthritis. James and Lynn Klinenbeg were event co-chairs.

* A cocktail party and screening (film donated by Paramount Studios) of “The Hunt for Red October” March 1 at Paramount Studios’ Commissary raised $49,000 for the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation. The foundation raises money to help officers and families of officers of the California Highway Patrol who have been injured or slain on the job.

* The Jeffrey Foundation honored board members, community leaders and volunteers at a gala Russian Valentine dinner-dance Feb. 9 at the El Rey International Restaurant. The Jeffrey supporters raised $200,000 for a new multipurpose center serving handicapped low-income children in South-Central Los Angeles. The center’s opening is scheduled May 8 with a dedication by Sybil Brand.

* The Variety Children’s Charities Telethon broadcast live from KCET Television Studios via KCAL, Channel 9 on Dec. 3 raised more than $1.2 million. The nonprofit Variety Children’s Charities (part of the nonprofit Variety Clubs International) will distribute the funds to programs and facilities supporting handicapped, underprivileged and abused children throughout Southern California. To date, more than $575 million worldwide has been collectively raised for children with special needs.

* The seventh annual American Cinema Awards on Jan. 27 raised a gift of $350,000 for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which provides health care and social services to industry employees. The awards foundation also uses a portion of the dinner proceeds to provide scholarships in art, dance and music in colleges throughout the United States.