Lake County >> It’s been a year since the Valley Fire erupted, and some organizations are still working hard to make up for losses caused by the flames. Clearlake’s Highland Senior Center, for example, was forced to cancel their annual dinner/dance — the center’s largest fundraiser — when they opened their doors as an evacuation center. They lost roughly $10,000 in doing so. Staff hoped this year’s event, which took place Sept. 10, would bring in some much-needed cash.
The senior center wasn’t the only nonprofit to experience a hit. With so many donations going to fire victims, a number of organizations saw a serious decrease in funds coming their way. “It’s a small market. It’s almost a zero sum game,” said Bill Groody of the Wine Alliance, an group that has raised $1,266,502 for programs in Lake County since 2000. “Money moves from one category to another. That’s just the way it is.”
Like Highlands Senior Center, the Wine Alliance canceled last year’s Wine Auction — a fundraiser that brought in a significant amount of money — in light of the fire. But unlike the center, they weren’t hit hard financially thanks to sponsors and ticket holders who didn’t pull their money out, even when the event was no longer going forward.
But that didn’t mean the Wine Alliance wasn’t concerned about this year’s event. “You can’t do that two years in a row,” Groody pointed out.
Through the Wine Auction, the Wine Alliance is able to give thousands each year to various nonprofits and entities around the county. And while the alliance themselves didn’t suffer last year, the story is a bit different for their recipients. “Our beneficiaries are facing a problem, as many nonprofits up here are,” said Groody. “The pressure on is to fully fund our beneficiaries. We’re on track to do that.”
Thankfully, Groody had high hopes for this year’s Wine Auction, which took place over the weekend. “I feel really good about where we’re headed,” he said.
Some events had to make changes, even if they weren’t forced to cancel. Impacted by the Rocky Fire, the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum had to push back the opening date of their annual Quilt and Fiber Arts Show, even though the exhibit was set up and ready to go. The museum’s visitorship was affected that month and a few months thereafter.
Thankfully, since the textile show is free to the public, there wasn’t a significant financial loss the museum is desperate compensate for during this year’s show, which is currently on display until Oct. 15.
Many events that weren’t canceled or postponed experienced a noticeable dip in attendance. “People were obviously taking care of more important things,” said Lake County Chamber of Commerce CEO Melissa Fulton. But even with lower turnout, event organizers didn’t want to cancel. The Konocti Challenge, an annual bike tour, dropped the longest route from their schedule. Organizers said that riders committed to the 100 mile journey understood the change and took the 60 mile route instead. Many event volunteers felt that music and entertainment could serve as a distraction and a way for citizens to take their minds off the destruction, as well as add some semblance of normalcy to the community.
And if attendance was low at some events, it was high at others for this exact reason. At the final Kickin’ in the Country Street Dance last year, hundreds of people filled Main Street Kelseyville to dance to the music of the Funky Dozen. Many had walked down from the evacuation center at the high school.
Oktoberfest was one such event that lost some traction last year due to the Valley Fire. The annual festival raises funds for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, and the loss in revenue didn’t go unnoticed. While there isn’t much they can do about 2015, chamber members are looking forward to a bigger crowd on Main Street this upcoming Oktoberfest. “I don’t think you ever make up for it,” said Fulton, regarding the hit to their funds. “Hopefully we’ll go back to a regular attendance.”
With a number of activities coming up, Fulton hopes to see a large turnout not just at Oktoberfest, but at the Steele Wines Harvest Festival, the Kelseyville Pear Festival and the like.
“We hope people will support all the community events because they are fundraisers that support all the community activities,” she said. “There’s a lot of work that goes into those that is done to bring people to the area. We hope that makes a difference.”
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
