Pencil it in

The first Race Against Rape kicks off at 9 a.m. April 17 at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station. The event includes a 5K run and 2.5K walk and is being organized by a new nonprofit organization dedicated to helping silent victims become outspoken survivors. Proceeds will be split with People Against Rape. The cost is $25. For more info: 830-6947 or raceagainstrape@yahoo.com.

Enjoy a lunch buffet on Center for Women Day at the Family Circle Cup. The lunch takes place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday in the Family Circle Cup Sky Suite high atop Family Circle Magazine Stadium. Patrons will receive a ticket for admission to the suite, catered luncheon buffet and parking pass and be eligible for a gift basket giveaway from Cottage Aroma Bella Day Spa. Tickets are $65 for center members and $80 for nonmembers. Registration is required. For more info: 763-7333 or c4women.org.

The S.C. Aquarium will feature Wine on the Water, an evening featuring sustainable seafood, wine, live entertainment and waterfront views of the Charleston Harbor, 7-9 p.m Tuesday. All proceeds benefit the conservation and education programs of the aquarium, a nonprofit organization. Ages 21 and up only. Tickets are $25 for aquarium members and $30 for nonmembers. Advance reservations and payment required. For more info: 577-FISH (3474).

Joan Borysenko, a pioneer in integrative medicine and a well-known expert in the mind/body connection, is bringing her workshop, Conscious Evolution for Women: Listening to Our Soul's Guidance, to The Sophia Institute. An evening lecture will be at 6:30 p.m. April 16; cost is $25 in advance or $35 at the door. A weekend workshop runs 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. April 17 and 9:30 a.m.-noon April 18; cost is $295 and includes the Friday lecture. For more info: 720-8528 or www.thesophiainstitute.org.

The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics hosts the 2010 Leading Women Dinner on April 16 at 701 Whaley St., Columbia. The 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. dinner aim to open the doors for more women in politics. Honorees are Sherry Shealy Martschink, the youngest legislator in the nation when she was elected in 1970, and Inez Moore Tenenbaum, former state Superintendent of Education who is now head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The keynote speaker is Arlene Violet, a former nun and first female state attorney general in the U.S. The cost is $65 or $50 for students. The following day, the institute will host a training session on grass-root development for candidates and campaign supporters eager to elect more women to office. Some scholarships are available. For more info: 803-741-5644 or www.scelectswomen.com.