EL CAJON: Tickets are on sale for El Cajon's A Toast to Music, an evening of wine tasting, live music and a silent auction that benefits the El Cajon Community Development Corp.
The event, now in its seventh year, is planned for 5 to 8 p.m. May 31 at the outdoor plaza at the East County Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Main St., El Cajon. It's the primary fundraiser for the nonprofit Community Development Corp., which promotes local businesses and investment in downtown El Cajon.
Tickets start at $75 each; a limited number of tables for eight are available for $800. The organization is also seeking volunteers to help set up, pour wine and beer, and prepare and display items for the silent auction. Volunteers should be at least 21 years old and must attend an orientation and training session.
To buy tickets or for more information, call (619) 401-8858 or go to downtownelcajon.com.
– L.N.
Nonprofit seeks money for Schirra scholarship fund
SAN DIEGO: A nonprofit is seeking more money to establish a college scholarship fund in honor of astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr.
Schirra, one of America's original seven astronauts and a resident of Rancho Santa Fe for 23 years, died May 3, 2007, at age 84. He made his first flight into space in 1962 and was the only astronaut to fly missions in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.
After Schirra's death, the San Diego Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation launched an endowment bid in his name.
It needs to raise $150,000 to support an annual scholarship for a student studying aerospace engineering at the University of California San Diego or San Diego State University. The foundation has collected about $64,000, its officials said.
To donate, send contributions to ARCS Foundation – San Diego Chapter, P.O. Box 8394, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-8394.
For more information, go to arcsfoundation.org/sandiego.
– H.T.P.
Staff writers Liz Neely and Hieu Tran Phan contributed to this report.
