The Los Altos auxiliary of Sycamores’ annual wine tasting event in La Cañada Flintridge is returning on Sunday, April 23, after a three-year hiatus from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event, “A Taste of the Grape Northwest,” is expected to welcome 200 supporters from the LCF area, who enjoy wine, food and charitable giving.
The Los Altos Auxiliary is a group of determined women from the LCF, Glendale and La Crescenta communities who work with Sycamores to provide care, compassion and hope for youth from extremely vulnerable situations now residing at the El Nido residential campus for young males in western Altadena. Often survivors of trauma and multiple foster home placements or the probation process, youth at the El Nido campus receive professional education and critical mental health services in a peaceful, spacious environment that fosters healing and growth. The goal is to stabilize mental health symptoms and provide the tools necessary to live successfully as a family and within a community.
As the professional staff provides therapeutic care, the Los Altos auxiliary funds educational and social enrichment programs and activities; capital improvements like computer labs, outdoor patios and room refurbishing; extracurricular opportunities; and, perhaps even more important, acts of hands-on kindness and compassion like birthday cupcakes, ice cream socials, snow days, movies nights, personally selected holiday gifts from each youth’s personal wish list, no-sew fleece blankets, pet therapy and more. These kinds of “family” activities are some that these youth have not experienced. Los Altos members believe they can truly make a difference in a young boy’s life by showing them that people care and that they are valued.
Event guests will enjoy Pacific Northwest-inspired appetizers from Porta Via and taste seven carefully curated selections of wines from the same region, including a festive sparkling wine, some cool crisp whites, elegant pinot noirs and robust reds.
Additionally, a silent auction will offer group experiences valued at each $500 or more. For more information on Los Altos and Sycamores, visit losaltosauxiliary.org and sycamores.org.
First published in the March 16 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
