Sunkist Aids Area Charities : Centennial: The gifts, marking the citrus cartel’s 100th year, come amid allegations by the federal government of marketing violations .

Sunkist Growers Inc., which is facing a lawsuit by the Justice Department for allegedly violating federal marketing quotas, joined forces with its German marketing partner to donate more than $150,000 to two dozen charities Wednesday as part of its celebration of 100 years in business.

Representatives of groups ranging from San Fernando Valley Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to AIDS Project L.A. and the Leukemia Society of America received checks averaging $8,000 during a ceremony at the citrus cooperative’s headquarters in Sherman Oaks. One recipient--a Fresno children’s hospital--was represented by 4-year-old Johnathon Neece, who is being treated there for a throat condition.

The citrus cartel’s image in its centennial year has been marred by Justice Department allegations that it violated sales quotas for lemons set by the federal government, which restricts the amount of citrus fruit that reaches market in order to maintain stable prices. The lawsuit, filed last August, is pending.

The Rickertsen Foundation, set up by Sunkist’s licensee in Hamburg, Germany, supplied $100,000 of the charitable fund money as a centennial gift to the cooperative. The gift marks a “very long, fruitful business relationship between the two companies,” said Dr. Jurgen Mielke, legal counsel to Rickertsen, which began marketing Sunkist products in Germany 35 years ago.

“It is a thank-you for all that’s been done during these years,” he said.

Sunkist spokesman Curtis Anderson said Sunkist made up the rest of the charitable fund.

According to the spokesman, Rickertsen had initially intended to donate 100,000 marks ($61,000). But the German foundation decided last week to make it $100,000--$1,000 for every year Sunkist has been in business.

Sunkist and Rickertsen officials met Monday to choose which charities would receive donations. “We wanted to include an AIDS project, an environmental project, educational and medical groups, children’s hospitals--the whole gamut,” Anderson said. Other local organizations on the list were United Way of Van Nuys, the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Assn. and the Salvation Army of Canoga Park.

Sunkist has 6,500 member growers and packers and accounts for 65% of citrus production in California and Arizona.