Napa
Valley Vintners Gives $7.26 Million to Napa County Charities
Ensuring the Area's Health and Wellbeing in Challenging Times
St
Helena, CA - on Thursday November, 6, The Napa
Valley Vintners (NVV) awarded $7.26 million raised
at its 2008 Auction Napa Valley, giving grants
to area healthcare, affordable housing and youth service non-profits,
bringing the giving total to $85 million.
"The
Auction is such a terrific aspect of our community where we
see everyone come together to make it a success, and we are
thrilled to have led the event this year," said Kathleen
Heitz Myers, president of Heitz Wine Cellars who, along with
her team, chaired the 2008 Auction.
An
Outpouring of Generosity
The largest grants, totaling $1.7 million, were awarded to Community
Health Clinic Ole and its Sister Ann Dental Clinic from the
incredible outpouring of bidder generosity from the 2008 "Fund
a Need" paddle raise held during the June event's Saturday
Live Auction. With no prize to be won other than supporting
medical care for children, bidders raised their paddles, beginning
with those in for $1000, then those in for $5000 and so on,
finally paying their top bid placed. When the lot closed, it
raised money from 89 individual bidders and more than doubled
the 2007 paddle raise revenue.
Maria
Criscione Stel, Development Director, Community Health Clinic
Ole said,
"Community Health Clinic Ole is honored to be counted among
ANV's long-time beneficiaries. As we strive to make medical
and dental services accessible to all Napa County residents,
we will use the proceeds from this year's Fund a Need to help
cover the cost of providing 62,000 patient visits at our six
clinic sites."
2008
Giving Exceeds Promise
Last year, the NVV made a $25 million promise to the community,
ensuring that the Auction will distribute a minimum of $5 million
toits beneficiaries each year over the next five years. With
the windfall of money raised at this year's event, the Auction
was able to award 45% more than projected.
Pat
Stotesbery, NVV's Board of Directors President said, "Given
these shaky economic times, the vintners association is proud
to fuel our local non-profits to strategically solve some of
the most pressing issues in our community."
Stotesbery
was referring to the new funding guidelines established last
year after an extensive community needs assessment, done in
cooperation with the NVV and the county's major healthcare providers.
Additionally the NVV conducted a separate study to assess youth
and affordable housing needs. These were conducted to ensure
that overall Auction proceeds will have the most positive community
impact possible and that the Auction's funding will be focusing
on specific needs or criteria, rather than funding specific
agencies or charities.
Read
the Full Press Release
Read
the Full List of 2008 Beneficiaries