Friday, February 09, 2007

Media Contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry(415) 693-0583, news@davidperry.com

6th Annual "Wine and Wishes" Gala Raises $650,000 for Make-A-Wish

8 February 2007, San Francisco: Wine and Wishes 2007, an event that benefits the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation ( www.makewish.org) , far exceeded the event committee’s expectations. Combining contributions from ticket sales, live and silent auctions, corporate sponsorships, and cash donations, the event raised $650,000 to grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. This represents an 8% increase over last year. An additional $290,000 was contributed in in-kind donations. Now in its sixth year, the event sold out months in advance and has developed a reputation for providing a lavish sampling of the Bay Area’s best wineries and restaurants.

"For the third consecutive year I have had the privilege to announce that every dollar raised by this event will go directly to granting wishes," said Patricia Wilson, Executive Director of Make-A-Wish. "We have developed a loyal following of supporters over the past six years, and are extremely grateful to our patrons, corporate sponsors and in-kind contributors who are responsible for the event’s success."

Held this past Saturday, February 3rd on Treasure Island, Wine and Wishes featured a gourmet four-course meal created by four of the Bay Area’s top celebrity chefs, including Bart Hosmer, Parcel 104; Roland Passot, La Folie; Xavier Salomon, Executive Chef and William Werner, Pastry Chef, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay; and Quentin Topping, Tanglewood. In addition, distinguished chefs from over 25 other restaurants, including Bacar, Farallon, Millennium and One Market, offered a sumptuous array of hors d’oeuvres during the Tasting portion of the event. Thirty-five wineries, including Far Niente, Patz & Hall, Nickel & Nickel Winery, and Saintsbury delighted those in attendance with their signature wines.

Over a third of the revenue from Wine and Wishes came from the silent and live auctions, bringing in $263,000. The top lot this year was a weeklong culinary experience in Tuscany. Two other lots that brought in high revenue were an American Idol experience including tickets to the show’s taping, and a wine country trip planned and hosted by Chef Roland Passot. Next year’s Wine and Wishes will take place on Saturday, February 2, 2008.

About the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation:In 2007, the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation® celebrates 23 years of fulfilling magical wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses. One of the largest chapters nationwide, it has granted over 4,000 wishes in its 17 Northern California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano and Sonoma. In August 2005, the Chapter was recognized with a coveted "Best in America Seal of Excellence" award, the first Make-A-Wish Chapter to achieve this distinction for its outstanding management and governance practices. Of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this Seal. For more information, please call (800) 464-9474 or visit www.makewish.org

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home