Pitching in for kids

<p>Baseball greats Vida Blue, Dave Kingman and Rollie Fingers, as well as Grammy-winning musician Roy Rogers, will be on hand when the Carousel Fund holds its 21st annual fund-raiser on Oct. 4 at the Petaluma Veterans Memorial Building.</p><p>The event annually raises in excess of $150,000 to help families of children with catastrophic illnesses, through ticket sales, gaming tables and silent and live auctions. One of the auction items is a baseball bat signed by 46 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.</p><p>Fingers, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, had the bat autographed when he attended his induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.</p><p>"Whoever buys the bat will also get to have breakfast with Rollie the next morning at the Sheraton Hotel," said Arnie Cohen, founder and president of the Petaluma children’s charity.</p><p>There is also a baseball signed by Joe DiMaggio on the day he married Marilyn Monroe, and a photo of the couple. Many of the auction items are on display at two downtown jewelry stores, Hollingsworth and J Solar.</p><p>Meanwhile, several other fund-raising events are being held for the Carousel Fund. During September, customers at the Lucky store on Lakeville Street can buy a carousel horse for $1 or $5 that will be placed on a wall in the store. Lucky is also holding week-end barbecues that benefit the organization.</p><p>“We want people to know our annual event is not just a party,” Cohen said. “We’re trying to keep kids alive.”</p><p>Tickets to the event are $65 and can be purchased at the Wells Fargo branches at 100 Petaluma Blvd. South, 125 Western Ave. and 800 N. McDowell Blvd. or by mail.</p><p>Send a check for $65 per ticket no later than Sept. 26 to the Carousel Fund, 503 Hayes Lane, Petaluma 94952. Call Wells Fargo (773-2407) or the Carousel Fund (762-9136) for ticket information.</p>