SKY-DIVING GROUP JUMPING TO RAISE CANCER FUNDS.

Byline: SIMONE SCHRAMM Community columnist

Pamela Rhodes of Sherman Oaks and Jayna Sommer of Thousand Oaks will join 148 other women sky divers at the Jump for the Cause fund-raiser, Oct. 13-18, to raise money for breast cancer research at the City of Hope.

Rhodes, a legal secretary, says she has had several friends and co- workers with cancer and is doing it on behalf of them and all women.

``I'm so excited and a little nervous, but we're raising money for a good cause,'' says Rhodes, who has made about 1,200 jumps since 1992.

Sommer, who owns a messenger service in Tarzana, says she began sky diving while her husband, Jeff, was receiving treatment for leukemia at City of Hope. His cancer has been in remission since March 1992, and he has gone sky diving three times since.

The goal of this month's event is to raise $1 million. Participants will also attempt to build a midair formation of at least 140 sky divers, breaking a world record of 118 set during the first Jump for the Cause event in 1999.

Jump for the Cause was formed by Mallory Lewis, daughter of legendary puppeteer Shari Lewis, who died of breast cancer in 1998.

For more information, log on to www.jumpforthecause.com. For sponsorship opportunities, call [phone], Ext. 26243.

Aryana Azmoudeh, a third-grade student at Welby Way Elementary School in Canoga Park, took first place for her grade level in both state and western competitions for the 2003 Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl Poster Contest.

Her entry, titled ``Don't Leave Your Fire Unattended,'' features Smokey Bear standing beside a burning campfire with ashes spilling onto the ground while careless campers sleep in their tent. It will now be entered in the national contest.

``It was a good accomplishment for her, and she benefited in many ways from it,'' said Kousheh Azmoudeh, Aryana's mother.

Aryana was honored with a certificate at the California Garden Club Inc. convention in Stockton by the San Fernando Valley Garden Club District and the Canoga Park West Valley Garden Club.

The Valleyaires, a San Fernando Valley-based barbershop chorus, are competing this weekend in the Far Western District Contest in Bakersfield to qualify for the Barbershop Society's International Finals set to take place July in Montreal.

In 1987, the group placed ninth in the International Finals at Hartford, Conn. The group is the only Los Angeles chorus to place in the big show.

``Ninth wasn't bad from an original lineup of 800 choruses,'' said Tom Mayfield, chapter president of Sherman Oaks.

The group practices every Wednesday evening at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys.

``There's a real joy in singing barbershop harmony, and we hope to convey it to our audience,'' said Duncan Gillman of Studio City, a 23-year-old baritone.

Chad Sheridan, a senior at North Hills Prep School, has been nominated to compete in the national Principal's Leadership Award Scholarship Program, sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

One hundred fifty winners from the competition will receive $1,000 scholarships in the spring.

Nine local Girl Scout adult volunteers will represent the Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley as delegates at the 49th Girl Scout national Convention in Long Beach, Oct. 17-21.

The event is expected to attract approximately 15,000 delegates and visitors from throughout the country.

The San Fernando delegates are Roland Armstorff of Burbank; Michelle Caldwell of Van Nuys; Orpha Eget of Reseda; Joelynn Gil of North Hills; Gerry Keshka, executive director of the Girl Scout Council of the San Fernando Valley; Rose Kukla, president of the GSSFV; Jennifer Lugg of Winnetka; Nancy Miller of West Hills; and Grace Nolan of Sunland.