02/24/2001

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO – Margaret O'Brien, a legendary child star from the 1940s, has given her Oscar to the Sacramento AIDS Foundation.

The statuette from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be auctioned on the Web site www.fineartsbrokerage.com, foundation officials said Friday.

The auction runs from March 9 to 25.

O'Brien's special child-star Oscar was presented at the 1945 Academy Awards after her performance as Tootie in the musical Meet Me in St. Louis with Judy Garland the year before.

It was stolen from her in 1954 and didn't surface until 31 years later, when two sports memorabilia collectors found it at a Pasadena swap meet and returned it to her.

Other items to be auctioned include passes to the "Tonight Show'' donated by host Jay Leno, and an Esther Williams bathing suit with an autographed photo.

Money raised in the auction will pay for prevention commercials airing nationwide and perhaps an after-school special, said foundation spokeswoman Jennifer Novak.