Mama’s Kitchen will present its 12th annual wine tasting event at Bourbon Street, located in University Heights, on Thursday, Aug. 16. This popular, annual event, which Mama’s Kitchen conceived of when it was still a grass-roots organization, now draws a sell-out crowd of more than 300 guests. The proceeds from the fund-raiser support Mama’s Kitchen’s home-delivered meals program for people suffering with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in San Diego County.

Monique Marvez, radio personality from JACK 100.7 FM’s popular morning show “Monique and the Man,” will act as emcee for the wine tasting, which features five different wines donated by Southern Wine and Spirits. ChileCo Catering will provide hors d’oeuvres and desserts for the evening.

“I believe in being involved in our community and doing whatever I can,” said Scott Wagner of ChileCo. Additional food and beverages will be provided by Lei Lounge and Ono Sushi. “We are grateful for the continuing and generous support of the management and staff of Bourbon Street in hosting this annual wine tasting,” said executive director Alberto Cortés. “Both new and longtime supporters of Mama’s Kitchen are able to enjoy an evening out in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere while providing critical support for Mama’s Kitchen.”

The 12th annual wine tasting is sponsored by BUZZ magazine, ChileCo Catering, Lei Lounge, Ray Lubecki and Charles Higgins, Ono Sushi, San Diego City Homes, Southern Wine and Spirits, and Union Bank of California. The event runs from 6-9 p.m. at Bourbon Street, located at 4612 Park Blvd. Tickets purchased in advance are $45 per person and $50 at the door. Valet parking will be available for $12. For more information, contact Jennifer Brown at 619-233-6262, ext. 104, or visit www.mamaskitchen.org.

Councilmember Toni Atkins and the Hillcrest Town Council will unveil the first of seven community identification signs to mark the entrance to the community of Hillcrest. Six other signs will be installed at intersections that border Hillcrest. The council has timed the placement of this signage to coincide with the Hillcrest Centennial celebration on Aug. 2.

Atkins, representatives of the Hillcrest Town Council and residents will come together for the unveiling, which will include brief remarks by community leaders. The event will take place on Thursday, July 26, at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Upas Street.

The Hillcrest Centennial celebration on Thursday Aug. 2, will bring residents, business owners and others together to celebrate the community’s first century. The day will include a birthday cake provided by City Deli at noon on the corner of Fifth and University avenues, followed by a free community barbecue celebration at the Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center at 5 p.m. More information about these and other Hillcrest Centennial events is available online at www.hillcrestcentennial.com.

In order to assist community organizations that provide critical services for patients living with HIV/AIDS, the Loyd White Foundation was recently created by Nicholas White of San Diego. The goal of the foundation is to identify areas where community assistance is needed for patients suffering from life-threatening illnesses, with a focus on HIV/AIDS, and to work to provide solutions for these needs.

One of the first and primary partnerships the foundation has made is with Peet’s Coffee and Tea in Hillcrest. Through the foundation, Peet’s will provide gourmet pastries to complement the daily meals delivered by Special Delivery, an all-volunteer home meal delivery service for people with HIV/AIDS. Sarah Thomas, manager of Peet’s Coffee and Tea said: “I am excited. We have been searching for something like this.” According to Diana Antonopoulos of Special Delivery, “Without organizations like Peet’s Coffee and Tea, we could not do what we do.”

Special Delivery was started by Ruth Hendricks 18 years ago, with the goal of providing homebound clients with three meals a day, free of charge. The idea was spurred in 1986 by a daily customer of Ruth’s Restaurant, which was located on Goldfinch Street. During his daily visits to the restaurant, the customer confided that he had AIDS. One day he suddenly stopped coming, and Hendricks knew that he probably was too weak to come to the restaurant or prepare his own food. With the help of friends and an all-volunteer staff, Hendricks created Special Delivery. Today the organization continues to operate in the same manner it did 18 years ago, run solely by volunteers and funded by the generosity of individuals, grants and local businesses.

White hopes to continue to build relationships with businesses, organizations and community members in need, so that needed services can be identified and people in need will be helped. Individuals or organizations interested in making donations should contact Nicholas White at the Loyd White Foundation at 619-285-3970.

The San Diego Bulldogs Wrestling Club brought home four medals and the first place team trophy at the 22nd annual Don Jong Memorial/Golden Gate Wrestling Tournament held at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center in San Francisco’s Castro District.

Bulldogs wrestler Albert Perez, in his first tournament appearance, won the gold, and wrestler Tom K. Gary Gerber received a silver medal. Bulldogs assistant coach Jake Whitehill got a bronze. More than 30 wrestlers from San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and British Columbia participated in the three-day event, which also featured a wrestling skills clinic and a pool party held in Petaluma. Eight Bulldogs traveled to San Francisco for the event. This is the second team win for the Bulldogs this year; they also placed first in the inaugural San Diego Bulldogs Tournament held here in February. “All of our guys who entered the tournament medaled. Each has come a long way on the mat, and I am very proud of all of them. We are already looking forward to our next competition,” said Bulldogs captain Greg Lines.

The Bulldogs Wrestling Club is in its ninth year as San Diego’s all-inclusive, year-round wrestling club and welcomes all age and skill levels. Practices are held on Sunday afternoons from 4-7 p.m. and most Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. in the main auditorium of The Center. Club members will also participate in the annual Hillside Wrestling Camp held each July outside Gibson, Pa. For more information on the Bulldogs, visit the group’s Web site at www.sdbulldogswrestling.org or contact Lines at 619- 957-6767.

The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation is pleased to request proposals for its inaugural grants cycle of funds from the foundation’s general endowment. In this inaugural cycle, the foundation will grant up to $38,000 to local non-profit organizations that serve San Diego’s GLBT community.

The foundation was established in 1996 with a mission to improve the quality of life within San Diego’s GLBT community by promoting responsible philanthropy to enact positive social change. The foundation addresses such issues as aging, arts and culture, civil rights, education, and health and human services for the GLBT community.

The purpose of the 2007-2008 grant cycle is to strengthen the capacity of organizations that serve San Diego’s GLBT communities by providing general operating grants for organizations whose primary mission is to serve and/or promote GLBT communities; project grants for organizations with broader missions but with projects that specifically benefit GLBT communities; and capacity-building grants for organizations whose primary mission is to serve and/or promote GLBT communities.

The deadline for submitting grant applications is Aug. 31. For more information and to download the 2007-2008 grant cycle RFP, please visit http://www.sdhdf.org/grantsapplicat/index.html