[EventCalendar] ec3_get_events() not translating ampersands into character entities

[ejm]

Running WP2.0.11 and EC3.1.0  I am using ec3_get_events() on the
lefthand sidebar of a wordpress I run with the following code: 

ec3_get_events('1000 days',' <a href="%LINK%" title="%DATE% -
%TITLE%"><b>%DATE%</b><span style="display:none">:</span>
%TITLE%</a>','');

Whenever there is an ampersand or other nonstandard character in the
title or link, it causes the page to not validate in XHTML. Not
knowing a whole lot about PHP, how do I go about encoding an "if,
else"  to make sure that ampersands and non-standard characters are
translated to their character entities the way they are in the rest of
wordpress? (I've searched as best I can for this answer via google but
it must be a "need to know the answer before asking the question" kind
of problem) 

Please note that omitting ampersands, quotation marks, apostrophes and
non-standard characters from titles is not necessarily an option. This
particular wordpress is filled in by someone else who knows even less
about coding than I do and who will not be able to understand why
there is a need to omit the characters.

Thank you. 

-EMorris 

P.S. The address is peacemakers.ca.etherwork.net/bulletins/  In an
effort to keep spammers at bay, I would prefer that the address of the
site NOT be made into a link.