With a wide array of food and beverages to select from, guests from across Santa Clarita attended Circle of Hope’s Vine2Wine fundraiser at California Institute of the Arts on Saturday.
Held in CalArts’ main building, guests had the opportunity to try samples of food from several local restaurants, breweries and wineries, including Stonefire Grill, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Azul Tequila, Nealie’s Skillet and Wolf Creek Brewery, among others. Water bottles were handily available, and all of the samples were all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink.
Overseeing Stonefire’s table, Maureen Sewer said her restaurant’s participation in Vine2Wine is based in being a part of and helping the community.
“We are just delighted that the community supports us, because we don’t get any government funding,” said Pam Ripling, Circle of Hope’s executive director. “So the majority of our funds come from fundraisers, some corporate donations, individual donations, people that give monthly out of their paychecks on an automatic deposit to us and we get a few grants.”
Guests were also likely directed to a table headed by Oriana John from the Santa Clarita Scholarship Program, who sold raffle tickets for cash donations for Circle of Hope. Those tickets went to organizations with prizes for guests, such as plane tickets from Southwest Airlines.
Etiquette is an essential aspect of the scholarship program, John said. Properly interacting with people to help donate is a major aspect of volunteering to sell the raffle tickets, she added.
Following an adjacent hallway into the building, guests could also walk through the silent auction area. Items on display included gift baskets, bottles of wine and craft beers, paintings and autographed memorabilia.
Through Vine2Wine and similar fundraising efforts, Ripling said she hopes to grow the services cancer patients in Santa Clarita can receive. All the funds go to Circle of Hope’s Client Advocacy Program and Hope’s Haven Cancer Wellness Center, paying for patients’ cancer bills, reconstructive surgeries and wigs, Ripling said. Every dollar raised stays in Santa Clarita, she added.
Circle of Hope helps cancer patients with different forms of the disease, something which John said she takes to heart.
“Not only does it matter to fight off breast cancer as a woman for women, but also for my nephew, my brother, for my other relatives, as well,” she said.
Circle of Hope also helps cancer patients cervical, colon, melanoma, ovarian, prostate, testicular and uterine cancers
Circle of Hope’s next fundraiser will be Afternoon Tea at the Hyatt Regency in Valencia, on Oct. 6.
