Last Sunday, August 25th, the Thousand Oaks Rotary Foundation and Thousand Oaks Rotary Club held its 23rd Annual Wine Festival at the beautiful Westlake Yacht Club.  

Almost 300 attendees sampled signature wines from 15 exquisite wineries and craft beer from 14 Cannons Brewery along with delectable appetizers from Boccaccio's Restaurant.  They enjoyed soft rock from guitarist CJ Chimente (CJ the DJ).

Attendees were also treated to a 5-minute video showing Special Olympians in competition.  The Thousand Oaks Rotary Foundation has raised over $600,000 for the Special Olympics Athletes.  All of the net proceeds from Sunday's event will go towards Special Olympics and Scholarships provided to deserving High School and Junior College students (from the Thousand Oaks Rotary Foundation).

Guests were able to bid on over 40 silent auction items which included Mexico Vacations, high-end wines, gift cards to local restaurants (Boccaccio's, Selvin's, Holdren's, Moody Rooster, Paul Martins, and more), handmade items, paintings, wine tastings, overnight stays at wineries (Opolo and Bianchi Winery) and more.

Attendees also were able to sponsor an athlete at a Bronze, Silver or Gold Level- 1 athlete, 3 athletes, or 6 athletes. 

Everyone had a great time and the event looks to be a financial success (net results pending). The Thousand Oaks Rotary Foundation will be presenting a check to Special Olympics with the net proceeds in Spring 2025.  For more information on how you can support The Thousand Oaks Rotary Foundation and Special Olympics visit our website at www.thousandoaksrotary.org.

A HUGE THANK YOU to the wineries in attendance:  Ascension Cellars, Bianchi Winery, Caldeaux Wines, Giessenger Winery, Heaven's Hill Winery (who donated $250 to sponsor an athlete), Ken Brown Wines, Kimberly Jones Selections, Mizel Estate Wines, Mystic Hills Vineyard, Nectar of the Dogs, Opolo Wines, Sequence Wines, Stiekema Wine Co., and to our Brewery-14 Cannons.  Also, a huge thank you to Boccaccio's Restaurant for providing all of the appetizers, sushi, and incredible staffing for the event.