A Big Hit for Girls Club

Santa Monica Girls Club’s celebrity softball game was held May 12 at Cloverfield Park in Santa Monica and raised more than $15,000. Actress Erin Gray hosted the fund-raiser with 25 celebrities participating. Proceeds will be used for an after-school program for children in the West Los Angeles area. The benefit was produced by David Mirisch Enterprises.

* United Jewish Fund and Operation Exodus received more than $754,000, proceeds from the annual dinner and golf tournament sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Region Jewish Federation Council on May 16 at the El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana. UJF supports humanitarian and social service programs for people in the greater Los Angeles area, nationally and overseas. Operation Exodus is a Los Angeles community campaign to aid Soviet-Jewish absorption in Israel and part of the United Jewish Appeal’s national campaign. Ed Praver and Paul Meshekow co-chaired the event.

* Vietnam Veterans of America in Los Angeles received $2,000 raised during the Memorial Day weekend at a fun and sun benefit at Zuma Beach sponsored by Nutri/Systems. The event was also held in three other cities and netted $16,000. Proceeds will be used to assist veterans in employment and education and for psychological assistance and health care.

* The Assistance League of Southern California Children’s Club was presented a $10,000 grant June 1 by American Express Philanthropic Program. The Children’s Club provides after-school care for children.

* RP International’s 17th annual Fighting Blindness Benefit was held June 6 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. The proceeds of $101,000 will be used for funding retina tissue transplants and for Wonderland Center Programs at the California Medical Center. Allan Jones was honorary dinner chairman. David Doyle and Helene Moskowitz were dinner chairs.

* United Scleroderma Foundation’s Art Auction was held June 7 at Bobi Leonard Interiors, Santa Monica. The event netted $30,000, which will be used for public education and to promote medical research in finding a cure. Beverly Sassoon and Bobi Leonard hosted the auction and reception.

* Foundation for the Junior Blind has been awarded a $270,000 multiyear grant from the Hilton/Perkins National Program (funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation) to expand its services to multihandicapped blind infants and toddlers and their families.