Sacramento Children's Home Guild. The annual "Down by the Sea" crab feed will be Feb. 21 at the Folsom Community Center, 52 Natoma St., Folsom. Crab will be on the table at 6:30 p.m. during the 5 to 11 p.m. party. The basic ticket is $45; an admiral's table for eight is $750 and includes two bottles of wine and a gourmet gift basket; a captain's table for eight is $600 and includes wine and a special gift. Live auction items include lunch for two with Sacramento Magazine's Dining Divas. Call (916) 698-1150 for tickets.

St. Ignatius Loyola Parish. The 22nd annual crab feed will be Feb. 7 at the parish center, 3235 Arden Way, with 6:30 p.m. starting time for the no-host bar. Dinner will be at 7:30 p.m., followed by dancing. Tickets are $35; call (916) 482-9666, ext. 212, or pick up tickets at the rectory office. One parish project includes free meals on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Karla J. Williams Cancer Fund. A crab feed will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Elks Lodge, 6446 Riverside Blvd. Tickets are $50, with proceeds going to the foundation matching women's cancer patients with clinical trials. Call Janice Bachelor at (916) 616-9940.

Rotary Club of South Sacramento. The 27th annual crab feed and silent auction will be held on Feb. 27 at the Elks Lodge, 6446 Riverside Blvd. No-host cocktails begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40, with proceeds benefiting community charities, including the YMCA, Sacramento Children's Home, Moral Values Program, DART and more. Call (916) 396-7244.

Knights of Columbus. The annual St. Lawrence crab feed will be Feb. 21 at the church hall, 4325 Don Julio Blvd., North Highlands, with no-host bar at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30. Call (916) 961-8912 or (916) 331-1061.

Sacramento Valley Paralegal Association. The fifth annual crab feed will be Feb. 7 at the Elks Lodge, 6446 Riverside Blvd. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will benefit CASA, the Sacramento Court Appointed Special Advocates. Call (916) 670-7545 or e-mail orsij@surewest.net.

Sacramento Opera. The annual Grand Opera fundraiser will begin at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Grand Ballroom in the historic D.O. Mills Bank Building, 629 J St. The grand party includes hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, four-course dinner, a tribute to dramatic soprano Jane Eaglen (who will attend), exclusive auctions and valet parking. Tickets are $125; call (916) 737-1000. That's the same number to call with auction donations or to become a sponsor.

What: Denim and Diamonds Crab Feed, presented by the Junior League of Sacramento.

When and where: 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 7 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Giovanni Hall, 1333 58th St.; $40 per person; www.jlsac.org; table sponsorships for $1,500 include a table for 10 with personal waitress and program recognition.

The plan: No-host bar opens at 5 p.m., with 6 p.m. dinner of Dungeness crab, pasta, salad, antipasto, bread and dessert; along with silent auction, music, dancing and raffle.

Extras: Crab dinner table sponsors will be treated to all-you-can drink sangria from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., courtesy of wine sponsor Woodbridge; a $1,500 gift card from Kenny G. Jewelry is the top prize in the special raffle; for attire, match the denim and diamonds theme.

Beneficiary: Proceeds support the Junior League's vision of enhancing the well-being and future of women and children in the greater Sacramento area. The J.L. of Sacramento is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

History: Founded in 1942 as an outgrowth of the Charity League, its projects have included but are not restricted to this lineup: Children's Receiving Home, Children's Theater, Crocker Art Museum docent program, Sacramento Regional Arts Council, Child Abuse Council, Junior Museum, Fairytale Town, Sacramento Regional Foundation and Crisis Nurseries. The Junior League produced and published a cookbook, "Celebrate," in 1991.

Featured volunteer: Becky Johnson Sabin, president, volunteered on what she calls a "piecemeal" schedule until she stood back and looked at her endeavors.

"Then and there, I recognized that the Junior League would allow me to volunteer as little or as much as I could because I would be working with so many other women in an organized fashion."

Johnson Sabin, who is with Siemens Mobility, is an alumna of the University of California, Berkeley. She calls herself a hobby runner, but has moved on to ultramarathons. She lived her early years on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in Humboldt County.

Her father was a member of the Hupa Tribe and part Karuk Indian. She gives credit to her parents for her desire to give back and help others.

Next communitywide project for the Junior League: The Sacramento Children's Museum. "The league is a founding partner for the museum," said Johnson Sabin. "The museum will offer a learning environment for children from zero to age 8."

Gloria Glyer focuses on events raising funds for charity. E-mail announcements four weeks in advance to gglyer@sbbmail.com or send mail to Gloria Glyer, Features, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento CA 95852; call (916) 556-5619. Brief announcements may be submitted to www.sacbee.com/calendar.