Ward Centers is offering local nonprofit organizations an opportunity to raise money for their causes by selling tickets for Festival of Giving, a three-day shopping event scheduled for Nov. 6-8.

The $10 tickets give shoppers discounts and special offers from participating shops and restaurants throughout Ward Centers. Nonprofit groups participating in Ward Centers' Festival of Giving will begin selling tickets in September, and the organizations will keep all of their ticket proceeds.

The Festival of Giving is a major fundraiser for many local charities and school groups. Last year's event drew thousands of shoppers and raised a record $96,830 for 75 nonprofit groups. A meeting for interested nonprofits will be held at 10:30 a.m Aug. 25. For more information, call 591-8411, ext. 231.

BIG ISLE PROJECT GETS SINGAPORE INVESTORS

The developer of The Villages of 'Aina Le'a, a 1,060-acre planned community on the Big Island's South Kohala Coast, said it has received a cash infusion from Singapore investors.

DW 'Aina Le'a Development LLC and Capital Asia Pte. Ltd. signed the financing agreement yesterday in Singapore. Capital Asia said it will raise $62 million or more for the first phase, which includes 385 townhomes to be sold under county affordable-housing guidelines.

The project is a master-planned golf course community that will include a lodge, homes, condos, world-class golf and spa facilities, a shopping center, a village center, commercial offices and medical facilities. DW 'Aina Le'a has begun work on the site, directly across from the Mauna Lani Resort.

FEDERAL GRANT WILL BOOST JOBLESS SERVICES

Hawai'i will receive $521,860 from the U.S. Department of Labor for training and employment services for people collecting unemployment.

The grant, part of $26.5 million awarded to 25 states, will allow staff at one-stop career centers to conduct in-person assessments with individuals collecting unemployment, according to a Labor Department news release. The assessments are used to determine service and training needs.