College of the Desert to honor philanthropist Peggy Cravens Nov. 8

College of the Desert will celebrate the philanthropic work of long-time Coachella Valley resident Peggy Cravens during an event on Nov. 8 at 4 p.m.

Cravens, who died in September 2022, served on the COD Foundation Board and chaired the Legacy Committee for many years. The former child star had a passion for the performing arts and education. She and her late husband, Donald Cravens, a photojournalist for Life magazine, donated $3.85 million to COD for what became known as the Donald and Peggy Cravens Student Services Center, which opened in 2010.

Their donation, the largest individual gift in the school's history up to that time, ensured that COD’s more than 10,000 students could better meet their educational and career aspirations. The center, which the college says benefits thousands of students each year, offers a number of resources including counseling and assistance.

In addition to her dedication to the College of the Desert Foundation — she served as president from 2000 to 2002 and remained on the board until her death — she was also chairman of the board of the Palm Springs International Piano Competition (formerly the Waring International Piano Competition) and supported such organizations as ACT for MS, the Palm Springs Air Museum, the McCallum Theatre, the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center and the Palm Springs Opera Guild.

For more information about the event, contact Nicholas Robles at (760) 848-8230 or nrobles@collegeofthedesert.edu.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: College of the Desert to honor philanthropist Peggy Cravens Nov. 8