After a one-year hiatus, the Mission Beach Woman’s Club is holding its sixth annual community fundraiser March 27 on the deck of The Pennant, 2893 Mission Blvd. Proceeds from the event will benefit the city’s Junior Lifeguard Program. “Because of the financial situation in the city and the state, programs like the Junior Lifeguards need to be protected,” said club director Mary Willmont. “We felt that this was a valuable program to support.” The fundraiser will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. It will feature a silent auction, refreshments and games with prizes. “The Junior Lifeguards is not just about taking the kids out to the beach,” Willmont said. “It’s about physical fitness, water safety, camaraderie, challenges and facing your fears. It’s giving children an opportunity to do things that they might normally never imagine themselves being able to do.” Money from past club fundraisers has gone toward a new police dog, a thermal imager for the fire department, a portable lifeguard stand and the music program at Mission Bay High School. The woman’s club decided to not hold a fundraiser last year given the rough economic climate. “We look for things that will support the beach community in general and also will be something that the San Diego community at large can benefit from,” Willmont said. “Junior Lifeguards has children from all around the city, some of which may have never been given the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the ocean.” Founded in 1926, the Mission Beach Woman’s Club is still going strong in its eighth decade. The club was originally started to give Mission Beach women their own place to hang out. “The women in the area wanted to form a club where they could socialize, do girly things and charity work,” Willmont said. “It started as a combination of a social and philanthropically-motivated club.” Sticking with its roots, the Mission Beach Woman’s Club still gives local women a chance to socialize and get to know each other. But it has transformed over the years to include more and more charity work benefiting local organizations. “We work very hard to make sure that we offer a balance of social opportunity for the women and make sure that we do substantial fundraising and giving,” Willmont said.