Social Circuit

The Support Center for Child Advocates

held its annual

Benefit Reception and Auction

April 14 at the Crystal Tea Room. Among the seven Distinguished Advocates for Children honored were Leslie M. Gomez of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and Shelly D. Yanoff of Public Citizens for Children and Youth. The event, attended by more than 850 guests, featured more than 300 auction items, including spending 10 days with 12 friends at Il Castello di Rocca Ciglie in Piemonte, Italy, which went for $9,250 twice, and throwing the first pitch at a Phillies game ($6,000). The event grossed $470,578 for the nonprofit, which provides free legal and social services for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia.

Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates was in town Thursday to receive the Franklin Institute's Bower Award for Business Leadership at the museum's annual

Franklin Institute Awards

ceremony. W. Richard Peltier of the University of Toronto received the top prize in science. The black-tie dinner for more than 775 guests also honored nine other scientists, including Dr. Peter C. Nowell of the University of Pennsylvania. The event, chaired by Sandra Baldino and Ira Lubert, netted more than $500,000 for the museum.

Artist Ryan McLennan of Richmond, Va., received the

West Collection

's second annual West Prize of $25,000 for his paintings

Work Ethic

and

Departure

at an awards reception held April 16 at SEI's headquarters in Oaks. The competition drew 2,100 artists from 55 countries who submitted 15,999 works of art. The 10 finalists each received $10,000 and their works were acquired by the West Collection. Among the 250 guests were SEI chairman Al West; his wife, Loralee; and daughter, Paige, who is the curator of the West Collection.

What happens when you put together literary lions Dave Barry, Mitch Albom, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, James McBride, Roy Blount Jr., Greg Iles, Ridley Pearson, and Kathi Kamen Goldmark? You get a lot of noise and the

Rock Bottom Remainders

, a rock band that takes its show on the road for charity. The band's performance in Philadelphia, held April 22 at the Electric Factory, included author Jennifer Weiner as a backup singer and former poet laureate Billy Collins on tambourine. The evening, which included a VIP reception with the authors before the concert, raised more than $22,000 for the Free Library.

Philadelphia Academies Inc.

president Lisa Nutter, wife of Mayor Nutter, hosted the nonprofit's annual fund-raiser Saturday at the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge. Among the 400 guests were honorary event chairs Nicole Miller; Bud Konheim, chief executive officer of Nicole Miller; actor Tony Danza; and DJ ?uestlove. The evening featured an awards presentation to Bill Sasso, chair of law firm Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, and to Rubby Canela, a 2007 graduate of the Urban Education Academy at Parkway West High School, dancing to Nash and the KZP band, and an after-party that ended at 1 a.m.

The Party 2010

raised nearly $290,000 for the nonprofit, which has 10 career academies in 16 Philadelphia public high schools.