KELSEYVILLE >> The Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary Club has great news: its annual Denim & Diamonds fundraiser was a huge success, having raised “$67,000 worth of good will,” according to the club. Event chair and club secretary Kim Baldwin said that “Overall, it was a very successful event, filled with big-hearted community members.”
The event was held on the lawn of Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill on Gaddy Lane in Kelseyville on June 16.
According to club member Denis Purcell, over 200 attendees enjoyed a three course dinner catered by Saw Shop Gallery and Bistro, and “danced to the music of the rock and roll band The Fargo Brothers.” A no-host bar was operated by volunteers from the Lake County Theater Company.
Funds were raised in a variety of ways: a silent auction garnered $6,900 in sales of items donated by business owners from Kelseyville and elsewhere in Lake County, and 16 major sponsors, including Lake County Tribal Health, contributed $18,000 to the club. Sponsors included Boatique Winery, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Journeys by Barbara, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Lakeview Health Center, Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill, Adventist Health Clearlake, Shields Construction, Saw Shop Gallery and Bistro, UCC Rentals, The Travel Center, Richard Knoll Consulting, California Exterminators, and Lake County Waste Solutions.
Most significantly, a live auction raised over $40,000 in three distinct ways.
“Polio Plus,” led by auctioneer and North Coast Rotary Governor Bob Rogers, brought in $22,200 for the purpose of eradicating polio worldwide, through auction sales, which were matched and raised 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
$5,000 was raised for the “Miss Lake County Scholarship Program with the help of District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown. The “Miss Lake County Scholarship Program” is making a return after a long hiatus, thanks in part to fundraisers like this one.
The main live auction items presented at Denim & Diamonds raised $13,200 in total, and were donated by Colleen Henninger, Tom Lincoln, Bob Braito, Saw Shop Gallery and Bistro, Delinquentes Car Club, Steve Estrada, Thorn Hill Vineyards, Panella Family, as well as Lake County restaurants who contributed to a dining package.
Goals for Rotary International on a global level include promoting peace, providing clean water, supporting education, growing economies and saving mothers and children.
Specific local programs led by Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary Club are aimed at assisting students in the Kelseyville Unified School District with reading programs, scholarships, sports equipment and leadership training.
The Kelseyville chapter also assists in disaster relief in Lake County and adjacent counties in the North Coast District.
Kelseyville Rotary meets Friday mornings at 7 a.m. at the Saw Shop Gallery and Bistro in downtown Kelseyville.
Club secretary Kim Baldwin can be contacted at Kelseyvillerotary@gmail.com.
