The Paso Robles area Relay For Life, benefitting the
American Cancer Society, takes place in late June but participating team Vino
Vice organized its third annual fund raising kickoff event. The team comes from
the event security company of the same name, founded by former LA Sheriffs
officer Jim Davis. The Wine-Cheese & Chocolate theme drew a large supportive
crowd to the lawn at Vino Robles winery on a perfect spring afternoon.
Entertainment, auctions and a raffle added to the experience and there were
offerings from over thirty local wineries to be sampled.
I’ve been to a large number of tasting events and many of
them take on some less than pleasant aspects, especially as the fight for
position at the table and the increasing degree of lubrication grows. Those, in
the main, were marketing events and attendees often had no real connection
other than liking to drink wine. While it is fair to say that the wineries who
generously donated (100% of the proceeds go to ACS and the team has been the
largest contributor for the past two years) both wine and time to the event
hope those attending think of their product in future purchasing decisions,
there was a much different vibe.
What set the tone as I met the team and tried to take time
to introduce myself and this blog, as well as thank the representatives for their
support of the event, was the sense of connection to something bigger. When I
asked why they chose to donate to this particular fundraiser, those I spoke
with were universal in speaking of a personal experience with the disease; they
were survivors in some cases and others mentioned family and friends who had contracted
and not always lived through cancer. They believed in finding a cure because of
that personal exposure.
The other constant theme was that of Paso Robles being a
small town that, despite recent growth and various civic problems that go with
that, was still a community where people strongly believed in giving back and
adding some glue to that sense of community. That was evidenced by many of
those manning the sponsoring tables. Saturdays are busy for tasting rooms and
often have a small (if not just family) staffing. This leaves nobody to do
these events. But friends and neighbors came forward and donated their time to
help out. With enough space and tables to visit, the whole atmosphere was
relaxed and allowed for time to speak with the sponsors as well as fellow
participants. More like a social event among friends, it was an outstanding
display of commitment to both the cause and the area in which they choose to
live and support. Not only wineries but many local retailers, grocers and small
business contributed to the cause. For a full listing of those who donated
their products go to the vinovice.com site.
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