More than $28,000 was raised during the Oct. 30 String of Pearls Masquerade Ball. That exceeded organizers' goal of $25,000. The Health Services Agency Foundation hosted the event at Modesto Centre Plaza.

String of Pearls is a fund-raiser for the agency's outpatient and specialty clinics. Each clinic lists its immediate needs, then the lists are prioritized.

This year, the focus was on children's services. The children's dental clinic, in downtown Modesto, will receive three items: a new nitrous oxide tank, a video headset and a device used during root canals. The money also will pay for a hearing aid and for infant audiology machines. And some of the money will go toward hepatitis B immunizations, which are required for children entering kindergarten and seventh grade.