A week’s stay at a Lake Tahoe resort, a round of golf for four
at the prestigious CordeValle golf course, an autographed Ronnie
Lott 49ers jersey and private tours of local vineyards are among
the many items up for grabs at the upcoming 11th annual South
Valley Wine Auction.
A week’s stay at a Lake Tahoe resort, a round of golf for four at the prestigious CordeValle golf course, an autographed Ronnie Lott 49ers jersey and private tours of local vineyards are among the many items up for grabs at the upcoming 11th annual South Valley Wine Auction.
The fundraiser which local organizers describe as one of South County’s premiere events will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. April 3 at the Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
Proceeds from ticket sales and money raised from the auction of more than 50 items will support athletic programs at Live Oak and Ann Sobrato high schools.
According to Paula Mancias of the Live Oak booster club, about 300 people attended last year’s auction, which raised about $25,000.
The booster clubs from both high schools are working in tandem to conduct the South Valley Wine Auction, Mancias said.
“It really is a community event,” said Mancias. “Parents, teachers and people from the community work together, and they are 100 percent volunteers. There are many boosters who don’t have children at the schools any longer, and still participate because of the long honored tradition.”
Local restaurants and wineries donate food and beverages, which is plentiful for everyone who pays for a ticket and attends the South Valley Wine Auction, and everyone gets to participate in both a silent and a live auction, Mancias said.
Even though all the food, drink and auction items will be donated, Mancias said this year is a crucial time to support public school athletic programs.
“It’s not a secret that state funds and district funds are always scrutinized relative to extracurricular activities, so there’s more and more of a need to fundraise for athletic programs,” she said.
Specifically, money raised at the event will fund college scholarships for student-athletes at both schools, safety gear and equipment, and improvements to playing fields and other athletic facilities.
Radio personality Jona Denz-Hamilton of 94.5 FM has participated as emcee for the South Valley Wine Auction for a number of years, starting when her son began attending Ann Sobrato High School.
She said not only does participation in the auction support a good cause. It is also a fun and entertaining way to spend a Friday night.
“You get your fill of food and drink,” she said. “We have a lot of really neat things to bid on. There’s something for everybody.”
A long list of vacation, golf, sports, wine, and salon packages will be up for bid. And the live auction will be conducted by two professional auctioneers from Salinas.
The South Valley Wine Auction was started by Dr. Jon Hatakeyama, a Morgan Hill dentist, in 1999. He said he wanted to start a fundraiser for his son’s track and field team at Live Oak High School when he saw the team was so ill-equipped that some of the boys were wearing girls’ jerseys to meets.
The first auction was at Guglielmo Winery, “and we were ecstatic about raising $800,” Hatakeyama said.
The event has since grown to benefit both local high schools, and all the sports programs rather than just track and field. It has far outgrown its previous venues, and has become the biggest annual fundraiser for both booster clubs.
Mancias added that some money will trickle down to sports programs at local public middle schools and elementary schools.
For more information on the South Valley Wine Auction, see the Web site www.southvalleywineauction.org.
