United Way California Capital Region will make grants totaling $1,168,008 to 13 local nonprofits, United Way president and CEO Steve Heath announced today. Funded partners serve people across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties and participate in United Way’s projects: STAR Readers, $en$e-Ability and Fit Kids. “All of our funded partners have proven their incredible abilities to produce profound change in our community,” Heath said. “They know how to achieve measurable outcomes on important issues, and we’re excited to see what they do in the very important areas of children’s education, financial literacy and childhood obesity.” United Way’s STAR Readers project is w

A mural and sculpture artwork more than a year in the making is set to be finished in about a month and will be installed at the Boys & Girls Club of Sacramento to both inspire and educate the children. “I wanted to do something really original and kind of something that’s never been done before and challenge myself,” said 34-year-old Sacramento artist Anthony Padilla, who is known for works such as the murals on Hot Italian in Midtown and the 16th Street Kings mural. His design for the art involves a roughly 27-foot-by-27-foot mural accompanied by a sculpture that uses solar power to charge electronic devices such as laptops and cellphones and even run devices such as boom boxes. “Basi

University of Phoenix, the nation’s largest private university, announced that it has donated $100,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Twenty local Boys & Girls Clubs have been recognized with a $5,000 grant to support projects that make a meaningful contribution to literacy. Sacramento Boys & Girls Club received $5,000. According to research from the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2003, 22 percent of Americans aged 16 and older ranked as having below basic literacy, meaning they possessed the most simple literacy skills. Thirteen percent were categorized as above proficient, meaning they had the skills to perform complex and challenging literacy activities. The fu

It’s not often that bruises and beat-downs have anything positive associated with them. But that’s exactly what will take place Aug. 28 at the seventh annual “Battle of the Badges” charity boxing fundraiser. Police officers, correctional officers, and firefighters from throughout Northern California will step into the ring at Memorial Auditorium to duke it out all in the name of a good cause. The event was founded in 2003 by correctional officers Israel Montes Jr. and Yvonne Vasquez of California State Prison-Sacramento before a third officer, Pablo Vasquez, joined the team. Vasquez passed away in 2007. The annual tradition began as a small-scale event held at the Boys & Girls Club in

This Saturday, September 12, Rubicon Brewery and the Northern California Brewers Guild will present the 4th annual Midtown Community Festival to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento. "This will be a fun-filled day of food, music and games where attendees will get a great feeling of being part of our community," Rubicon owner Glynn Phillips said. "I'm hoping everyone comes out for a plate of ribs and a pint of beer to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento." The festival will include live performances by four local bands, fun games and activities for kids including a climbing wall and a jump house, raffle prizes and a walk-a-thon. There will be a wide variet