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Napa Valley Vintners - Auction Napa Valley Announces $8.8 Million in Giving
A Celebration of Health and Human Services in Napa County
11/2/2007 - November 2, 2007: St Helena, CA - Napa Valley Vintners' (NVV) Auction Napa Valley (ANV), the world-renowned charity wine auction held each June awarded grants to healthcare, affordable housing and youth service non-profits today at COPIA in Napa. $6.4 million was granted to 47 organizations ranging from Queen of the Valley and St. Helena Hospitals, Healthy Moms and Babies to Child Start, the Boys and Girls Club, Calistoga Affordable Housing and Hospice of Napa Valley, among many others. Another $2.4 million was identified for Napa Valley Vintners Community Strategic Initiatives.
NVV's 5 x 5 Community Promise
In 2007, the NVV made a $25 million promise to the community, ensuring that the Auction will distribute a minimum of $5 million to its 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 28% more than projected as well as an additional $2.4 million for major funding projects known as Napa Valley Vintners Community Strategic Initiatives that will have dynamic impact on the Napa County community. The Auction's Board of Directors, comprised of vintner and community leaders, undertakes the task of defining the best use of these funds. After an extensive community needs assessment, the board is working to finalize these projects. Similar projects have included:
In 2005, the 25th anniversary Auction created a $1 million donation to the Children's Health Initiative (CHI) for a three-year commitment to ensure every child in Napa County had access to healthcare. This grant was the single-largest industry grant to a CHI in history. Peter McCrea, president of the board of directors for NVV and ANV said, "This gift has reaped unimaginable benefit to the community and we look to make a significant impact with this year’s giving."
In 1999, the Auction provided a $3 million grant to help construct the Napa Valley Vintners Health Center in Napa that today houses four longtime ANV beneficiaries: Clinic Ole, Healthy Moms and Babies, Napa Emergency Women's Services and Sister Ann Dental Clinic. The creation of this center has improved referrals among these programs, and the shared building space, itself a nonprofit, saves each of the organizations 50% each month in rent compared to similar commercial medical office space.
A Day of Celebration
The check distribution ceremony was festive and imbued with a spirit of "prizes to be won" - the prizes being millions of dollars in much-needed grants to support this integral network of agencies. The presentation of grants was the culmination of Leadership Napa Valley's (LNV) Health and Human Services Day sponsored by the NVV, and was emceed by LNV graduate Barry Martin.
A New Milestone in Auction Giving
The largest grant of $700,000 was awarded to Community Clinic Ole from the first-ever "Fund a Need" paddle raise held during the Auction's Saturday Live Auction. Here with no prize to be won other than supporting medical care at Clinic Ole, bidders raised their paddles to get in on the giving, beginning with those in for $1000, then those in for $5000 and so on, finally paying their top bid placed. The highest bids of the round came from the Trinchero Family and Joseph Phelps Family who jointly gave $225,000. When the lot closed, it had raised money from 68 individual bidders.
Vintners Proud to Sponsor
Napa’s vintners are second to none in the world, and the vintner community takes pride in its ability to give back to the community by contributing to the health and well-being of the county's residents. The Joseph Phelps Vineyards Family chaired Auction Napa Valley 2007, and as Bill Phelps said, "This event brings out the best in all of us, and it takes the work of the entire community to put on this Auction. I would like to thank again, the over 900 volunteers from all over the valley. The hospitality provided to our bidders makes them happy to return each year, and this year was spectacular." Work on the '08 event began before the gavel fell on '07, and the vintners are already hard at work. The Heitz Wine Cellars Family will chair Auction Napa Valley - The American Wine Classic, June 5-8, 2008.
About LNV
Mission: To involve, inform and inspire leaders to strengthen our community. The success of the many other community leadership development programs across the country, plus the recognition of the need for effective leaders at all levels and in all sectors of the Napa Valley, provided the impetus to initiate such a program here. The project was first proposed in 1986, and the first LNV class started in September, 1987. LNV classes have graduated each year since then.
About ANV
Established by a thoughtful group of Napa Valley Vintners in 1981, ANV is the granddaddy of charity wine auctions in America, has now given nearly $78 million dollars to healthcare, youth service and affordable housing non-profits in Napa County. NVV is proud of our member's contributions, raising desperately needed funds through ANV and for being the backbone of all other charity wine auctions across the U.S.
About the NVV
Now in our seventh decade, the Napa Valley Vintners non-profit trade association is the sole organization responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley Appellation as a winegrowing region second to none in the world. Respect for our history reinforces our commitment to the preservation and enhancement of the Valley's land, wine, and community for future generations. We address the shared interests of our nearly 300 members and aspire to be the essential organization for all Napa Valley vintners. www.napavintners.com.
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