Meals on Wheels to Get $325,000

Meals on Wheels, Los Angeles, received a $325,000 check from the Wolfgang Puck Charitable Foundation. The donation represents proceeds from the eighth annual American Wine and Food Festival, held on Universal Studios’ Western set on Sept. 15. Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and the Board of Supervisors presented a commendation to Puck on Dec. 18 honoring his fund-raising efforts on behalf of Meals on Wheels. Since the festival began in 1983, Puck has helped to raise nearly $1.25 million for the program. Martel Cognac, Beef Specialists of Iowa, Finlandia Vodka, San Pellegrino Sparkling Water and Piper Sonoma Cellars have underwritten festival costs.

* American Cinema Awards Foundation and American Airlines sponsored the eighth annual American Cinema Awards on Jan. 12, netting $475,000 to be distributed as follows: $300,000 to the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital, $75,000 to the Actors Fund of America Home in Englewood, N. J., and $100,000 to establish scholarships in the fields of theater, art, music and dance at universities and colleges throughout the United States.

* Israel Cancer Research Fund’s fourth annual black-tie gala on Nov. 17 honored Dr. Judith Reichman-Cates and her husband, producer-director Gilbert Cates, for their commitment to cancer research. The event, held at the Century Plaza Hotel, was attended by more than 350 guests. The $200,000 raised will be used for cancer research. Dinner co-chairwomen were Elaine Berman and Phyllis Harvey.

* Seven social services received grants totaling $130,500 from the California Community Foundation on Nov. 6. Hathaway Children’s Services received $30,000; Los Angeles Children’s Museum $34,500; National Conference of Christians and Jews, Los Angeles, $5,000; Antelope Valley Rehabilitation Centers, Acton, $30,000; California Community Economic Development Assn. $16,000; Directors of the Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park, Los Angeles $10,000; and Catholic Deaf Ministry, Los Angeles $5,000.

* United Negro College Fund received an end-of-the-year $10,000 check from Hitachi, Ltd. making a total $30,000 Hitachi has given the fund during a 3-year period.

* Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences received donations of $50,000 each from Dino De Laurentiis and his daughter Raffaella De Laurentiis to be used for the Academy’s new Center for Motion Picture Study.

* Los Angeles County Foster Parent Assn. raised more than $112,000 with its Dream Tree Fund-raiser held between Nov. 23 and Dec. 24 at the Fox Hills Mall Merchants Assn. The money went for Christmas presents for area foster children. Proceeds from Fox Hills’ gift wrapping booth were donated to the association’s 18 satellite chapters.

* Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital will receive $109,000 from the League for Crippled Children, proceeds from the 48th annual Jack O’Lantern Ball held Oct. 26 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. The league, a nonprofit volunteer charity group, maintains the Rehabilitation Center at the hospital and has funded a 10-bed recovery room and intensive care unit in the surgical wing. Leona Boal was ball chair.

* Community Counseling Service, a nonprofit mental health agency, is recipient of more than $50,000 through individual and corporate donors who give $1,000 and above annually. These donors become President’s Club members of CCS. Donors and their guests were honored Jan. 20 at an “Afternoon Musicale” at the home of Nancy and Earl A. Powell, III. President Nancy Powell was hostess.