Area wineries collected over 2,000 pounds of toys
Wineries from the Russian River Valley bested those from the Alexander Valley in a competition to collect Toys for Tots at a weigh-in on Friday.
At the weigh-in event hosted by John Jordan of Jordan Vineyard and Winery and J Winery’s Judy Jordan, two gondolas filled with toys collected by nearly 20 wineries were measured up against each other. In the end, the Russian River contingent, represented by Judy Jordan, edged out the Alexander Valley by just 20 pounds, at 1,040 to 1,020, respectively. Together the two areas’ wineries collected 2,060 pounds of toys for the Toys for Tots program.
“My sister Judy may have won this year, but we’ll be back,” Jordan CEO John Jordan said, joking “I’m pretty sure they were buying the kids bowling balls, while we were going for stuffed animals.”
“But, in all honesty, the children are the real winners. Thanks so much to all the wineries for coming together to support this worthy cause during the holidays,” he said.
Jordan Winery first filled a vintage grape gondola painted to look like Santa’s sleigh in 2011, Jordan communications director Lisa Mattson told the Tribune.
“We had one of these old gondolas sitting in a field,” she said, describing how the concept came together. After a little paint and some elbow grease, the winery collected 990 pounds of toys in 2011 and weighed them in the newly repurposed gondola, she said. For 2012 they decided to make it a competition and found another old gondola that could be pressed into service for the charity event.
Representatives from the US Marine Corps Reserves were in attendance on Friday to assist with loading the gondolas. The Toys for Tots nonprofit traces its roots back to the US Marines who began the program in 1947, officially becoming a charity in 1991.
Toys for Tots will distribute the donations next week in Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, Guerneville, Forestville, Sonoma, Rohnert Park and Petaluma.
“The Jordans took their Toys for Tots donation program to the next level,” said Larry Williams, Senior Vice Commandant of US Marine Corps League Detachment 686. “We’re thrilled to have doubled Jordan Winery’s 2011 record and to have more wineries throughout the valleys participating. The toys donated today will allow us to fulfill the toy and coat requests we’ve received from the 28 organizations we support through Toys for Tots.”
Williams detailed a plan to present the winners of this year’s competition with a plaque, presenting the Alexander Valley wineries with the opportunity to reclaim it next year, he told the Tribune.
Participating wineries in 2012 included: Alexander Valley Winegrowers Association, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Ferrari-Carano, Lancaster Estate, Munselle Vineyards, Robert Young Estate Winery, Stryker Sonoma and Silver Oak Cellars (Alexander Valley); DeLoach Vineyards, Dutton Goldfield, Hartford Court, Lasseter Family Winery, Moshin Vineyards, Papapietro Perry, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Sunce Winery and Twomey Cellars (Russian River Valley).
