Money raised at July 13 event at Montecatini Restorante will provide 260 wheelchairs for delivery to Belize users.
By Tammie Perry
Correspondent
For nearly 20 years, Montecatini Restorante has been a local favorite for authentic Italian food. But on July 13, a special celebration was held there for a great philanthropic cause.
Business owners, homemakers, doctors, accountants and elected officials joined with Kipp Finn, owner of Montectini, at this Wine for Wheels dinner to raise money to purchase and deliver 260 wheelchairs to Belize in December.
"We take so much for granted and I’m happy to help support such a worthwhile cause," Finn said.
Wine for Wheels is an international association of wine enthusiasts who gather together to provide wheelchairs and mobility to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one but cannot afford one. Wine for Wheels works in conjunction with the Wheelchair Foundation, founded by Kenneth Behring of Danville, which has long provided wheelchairs for people all over the world.
Monday’s dinner raised $20,000; 100 percent of the night’s proceeds will go directly to buying wheelchairs for the Belize distribution.
Gina Khan and Vijai Manilal, owners of the Gina Khan salon with locations in downtown Walnut Creek and San Francisco, attended the dinner and graciously donated gift certificates and gift bags to all attendees.
The guest who traveled farthest to get to the fundraiser, Brian Burgan, came all the way from Belize. He is the sales manager at Sueño Del Mar, a luxurious resort on the Belizean island of Ambergris Caye. In an effort to raise money for wheelchairs, Sueño Del Mar has generously donated 10 villas for those traveling to the December Belize wheelchair distribution,
www.dreambelize.com.
Kelly McGuire, 2002 Country Music Association’s Artist of the Year, will perform three benefit concerts for the 2009 Belize Wheelchair distribution — one of them Aug. 16 in Danville, and the others in Belize. Tickets for the Danville show, from 5 to 8 p.m., are $50 (a free copy of his CD "Boat in Belize," comes with each individual/couple). To order, or for more information, go to www.wheelchairfoundation.org.
To make a tax-deductible donation, contact jeffbehring
@wineforwheels.org.
Staff and members worked together to beautify our beaches. Here's Flaco in action.
From left to right: Antonio and Terrance from Maintenance, Robertino, Flaco, and Juan from Grounds.
Member Michelle Bowen kept a tally of all the toothbrushes we found. 34! We challenge the September group to beat that!
Member Jean Escarpeta
Once we started, not even the pouring rain could stop us! Here are Jessica and I.
We had about 50 volunteers from Sueno staff and members, Tranquility Bay, and some of our neighbors up the beach.
Members Kevin Solloway, A.G. Robertson, and others in the background.
We filled more than 80 55-gallon garbage bags in two hours.
Some of our members posing with Tranquility Bay staff after the potluck.
Raquel is one of the contestants. She is the daughter of Miss Mellie who works in our sales office.
Brad, Kelly and daughter Olivia have made Sueno del Mar
