Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore in attendance for check presentation to honor Sonoma County Vintners Foundation community partnership
Santa Rosa, CA (February 20, 2019) – On Friday, February 15, 2019 the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation presented the Larkfield Resilience Fund, a Tubbs fire relief program for the Larkfield community with a $25,000 grant at a check presentation ceremony to support their Neighborhood Greening Program.
“Sonoma County Vintners Foundation and our wine community are honored to be able to support the Larkfield Resilience Fund and the residents of Larkfield,” said Michael Haney, Sonoma County Vintners Executive Director. “The Neighborhood Greening Program will assist in bringing back a sense of place that made living in Larkfield so distinct and special to this community.”
“The loss of our trees was an unexpected source of grief for many families following the fires,” explained Christine Ratliff of the Larkfield Resilience Fund. “As our homes are rebuilt, the missing trees remain a constant reminder of the devastation we have faced. By replanting them we hope to give fire survivors back a piece of what was lost and help restore a bit of home.”
Supervisor James Gore attended and stated, “We know wildfire recovery is going to be a long road. It is inspiring to see our Sonoma County communities coming together to help one another, such as the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation supporting the Larkfield-Wikiup neighborhood continue their rebuilding efforts, so they can keep moving forward.”
Distributed annually, the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation Community Grants program targets four key areas: education, health and human services, environment and arts and culture. After the 2017 North Coast wildfires, the foundation added fire relief efforts as one of their focus areas. This initial grant is part of Sonoma County Vintners Foundation’s continued commitment to Sonoma County’s charitable nonprofits. Additional grants will continue to be distributed throughout 2019.
The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation partners with the Community Foundation Sonoma County on their community grants program. The Community Foundation Sonoma County has served as a hub of philanthropy for the county for over 30 years.
To learn more about the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, please visit: sonomawine.com/foundation. For downloadable images, please visit: https://bit.ly/2UBQfca.
About Sonoma County Vintners Foundation
The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation provides support to our local community through philanthropy and charitable giving. Our fundraising efforts have a direct impact in the areas of literacy, education, health and human services, the environment and arts and culture. Our signature fundraising event, Sonoma County Wine Auction has been recognized as one of Wine Spectator’s Top Charity Wine Auctions in the United States. Learn more at sonomawine.com/foundation.
About Larkfield Resilience Fund
The Larkfield Resilience Fund is a community nonprofit founded by displaced neighbors in response to the devastating Northern California wildfires in October 2017. The company’s mission is to help neighbors and communities rebuild, replant and recover. Since its formation in 2018, Larkfield Resilience Fund has raised over $60,000 through grants and donations for their Neighborhood Greening Project, which will provide Tubbs Fire survivors in the Larkfield area with trees to replant in their burned out yards. To learn more, please visit www.larkfieldfund.com
