Wine, Women & Shoes doubles last year’s total
The second annual Wine, Women & Shoes was a booming success and raised over $400,000 for the Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, twice the amount of what was raised last year. The fundraiser took place on Saturday, July 26, with 400 guests flocking to the venue at Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards and Winery. The fundraiser consisted of a marketplace with culinary and wine partners that allowed for food and wine tasting, shopping from boutiques, a silent auction, a live auction with Fourth District Supervisor Mike McGuire as auctioneer, a fashion show and a shoe contest judged by Jean-Charles Boisset.
Executive Director for the Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County Pat Callahan said that the giving spirit of the audience was fantastic and inspiring.
“They were so generous in wanting to make a difference in health care, and we were very humbled. The event had a lot of heart,” Callahan said.
The funds raised were also due to the Kight family of Quivira Winery, who matched the live auction bids during the event, Callahan said.
Callahan said that the foundation put on the event because they wanted to engage more people in the community to support healthcare.
The foundation provides a network of health care to Northern Sonoma County, by supporting the Alliance Medical Center, Alexander Valley Healthcare and the PDI Surgery Center. The foundation also funds a school program to educate children about making positive decisions for a healthy life and a scholarship for family nurse practitioners at Sonoma State University, Callahan said.
“An event like this can pull people in for a day of great wine and food, and also educate them to the issue of healthcare and why we are doing what we are doing,” Callahan said.
Committee Chairwoman Katie Murphy said that the foundation brings healthcare to people where they live, so they don’t have to go far away to get good healthcare.
“Healthcare is a basic need for everybody, and to be able to support it locally, and have fun doing it, is great,” Murphy said.
Murphy said that the combination of wine, shopping and a lot of women is very unique in the wine-tasting world.
Another uncommon aspect of the event was the 26 men from the community who served the women for the day, known as “shoe guys.”
Callahan noted that the success of the event was due to the volunteers who organized it.
“The committee was just amazing, that’s where all the credit was due,” Callahan said. “They did a fantastic job and it was really a wonderful group to work with.”
Wine Women & Shoes Committee Chairwoman and Event Co-chair Barbara Grasseschi said that what made the event special was the amount of moving parts involved.
“It’s fun because you get to shop, and you get to eat great food and hang out with your girlfriends and your guy friends,” Grasseschi said. “It’s a chance to socialize for a good cause; it’s a way to do something good for the community and also have a great time.”
Grasseschi said that for those people who have health insurance and the stability of a health care safety net, sometimes they don’t realize what it would be like to be financially insecure and have to choose between food, or medications and doctor visits.
“This is a chance for us to not just have a good time, but to really reflect and realize that we have a responsibility to help those who need the help,” Grasseschi said.
