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VOM Vintage Festival passes out $23K

The Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival board of directors recently presented $23,500 in donations to eight lucky nonprofit organizations. The funds were raised during the successful 2012 festival, which took place Sept. 28 to 30 on the Plaza.

  “We are very proud to continue the charitable work of the Vintage Festival,” said Maria Toimil, president of the Vintage Festival board. “Last year’s festival was a success because of the wonderful support we received from the community. Attendance was up on all three days and it energized our board to do an even better job planning for a spectacular Vintage Festival in 2013. We will announce a new 2013 festival event calendar shortly and it is going to be great for the City of Sonoma as well as for the Vintage Festival’s ability to help fund important organizations.”

  The Native Sons of the Golden West Parlor #111, which provides copious volunteer support for the festival, was granted $10,000.

  Another $5,000 went to the Sonoma Valley High School Cross Country Team, while Jack London State Historic Park and the School Garden Project were each given $3,000.

  New this year, the Vintage Festival included a corporate grape stomp, where Valley businesses paid to participate, money that would benefit Valley nonprofits. The winning teams were able to select the charity they’d most like to support.

  First prize winners, M Broco and Sons, Inc. gave its $1,000 donation to Hospice By The Bay; Madrone Vineyard Management took second, passing $750 to the Sonoma Junior Dragons; Robledo Family Winery was third, giving $500 to the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance; the Native Sons of the Golden West came in fourth, and presented themselves with the $250 purse.

  The Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival is Sonoma Valley’s annual tradition of celebrating the harvest of wine grapes and the yearly crush.

Since 1897, the festival has celebrated the Sonoma Valley’s bounty, community, and local culture. This Sonoma tradition takes place the last full weekend of September in downtown Sonoma’s historic Plaza. The Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival benefits Sonoma Valley community projects and nonprofits. This three-day event is organized and presented by a group of local volunteers, including an all volunteer board of directors. Learn more at sonomavinfest.org.