It was a night of grants and prizes at the March 7 mixer of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce. Held at Bob Smith Toyota in celebration of (and preparation for) the annual Smart A Thon, held in the council rooms at USC-VHH on March 27 by the Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund, the mixer included the distribution of thousands of dollars in grants to local organizations. These included Friends of Crescenta Valley High School Falkon Robotics, Verdugo Hills YMCA, Parent Support Group – Crescenta Valley Instrumental Music Foundation, Foundation for Living Beauty, La Crescenta Woman’s Club and La Cañada High School Music Parent Association.

The March 27 Smart A Thon, a trivia-type event, features an estimated 130 community leaders competing for bragging rights. Also included are lunch, special presentations and musical entertainment. A highlight of the Smart A Thon is the awarding of $500 to two lucky non-profit organizations.

The Fund began in the ’90s with $1,200 and now, due to its fundraising efforts, has a principal of $550,000. Since its inception, it has given out $400,000 in grants to education programs in the Crescenta-Cañada Valley. This Education Fund is administered by the Community Foundation of the Verdugos, Edna Karinski, chief executive officer.

There is still room for more teams. To sign up or for more information, call Mary Pinola at (818) 292-7912, Chris Waldheim at (818) 247-8778 or Edna Karinski, Community Foundation of the Verdugos, (818) 241-8040.