Seacrest Village Retirement Communities hosted Let’s Party on Broadway featuring Rita Moreno on Feb. 21 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla. The $600,000 raised will be used for housing and health care for the elderly. Sponsors included California Bank & Trust, Rubin Insurance Agency and Bernstein Global Wealth Management. Corporate underwriters included DPR Construction, Thornton Winery and the Frank and Lee Goldberg family … The San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter of the American Red Cross received a new Dodge vehicle from the Sempra Energy Foundation for disaster relief efforts. The foundation awarded the Red Cross $105,000 in grants, $75,000 of which is for the new vehicle and $30,000 for a corporate volunteer program to train employees for disasters … UC San Diego alumni and parents raised $200,000 to light the UCSD baseball field. The campus’s athletic board led efforts to fund the project … YWCA of San Diego County raised $140,000 at the In the Company of Women event held at the San Diego Convention Center on Feb. 12. The funds support programs to assist women, children and families in the county … KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM, the broadcast service of San Diego City College, is hosting its Music Matters instrument donation program to support music education in local schools for the fifth year. The program enables children to rent or purchase their own instruments. A donor appreciation event is being held March 11 at the Coles Fine Flooring showroom … The American Ireland Fund hosted its 26th annual gala Feb. 28 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Carly Smithson, San Diego’s recent “American Idol” finalist, received the Robert A. MacNamara Literary & Arts Award. Proceeds support renewed reconciliation efforts in Northern Ireland, and the work of San Diego’s Mercy Outreach Surgical Team. Major sponsors included Donovan’s Steak & Chop House, Torrey Pines Bank and Viejas Casino … Aseltine School received a $20,000 challenge grant for its Founders Club Campaign, which celebrates Aseltine’s 40th anniversary. To date, $23,000 has been raised to match the grant and all funds will support student programs … The Women’s Auxiliary of The Salvation Army is presenting the 44th annual Women of Dedication luncheon March 10 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. Fifteen women will receive the award. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit’s local social service programs … The fifth annual Dream House Raffle benefiting Ronald McDonald House of San Diego awarded $40,000 to winners of the first drawing Feb. 25. The winners were Jennifer Rich, who won $25,000; Ricardo Basila Jr., $10,000; and Thomas Crabbe, $5,000. Ronald McDonald House says it expects to sell 35,000 tickets with proceeds used to provide a home away from home to families of sick children … The Ivy Hotel and Belvedere Vodka sponsored a fundraiser planned for March 7 to benefit the San Diego Film Commission Foundation. This is first in a series of fundraising events Ivy Hotel will hold to benefit local charitable organizations … Frank Marquez was named 2008 Civil Works Contractor of the Year by the U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association on Feb. 3. Marquez was chosen for the quality of his work in the general engineering industry. Caterpillar sponsored the awards banquet.

Please send Kudos and Giving items to contributing writer Joyce Glazer at jglazer@sdbj.com.