As restrictions for in-person gatherings continue during the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and nonprofit organizations are having to look for creative ways to stay afloat. One group of wineries in Underwood decided to team up to create a virtual experience in support of local Community Action Agency Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), according to a press release.
Aniche Cellars, Willow Wine Cellars and Hawkins Cellars joined together to offer virtual wine tasting experiences in support of WAGAP’s community food banks in Skamania and Klickitat counties. This partnership helps to make the fourth annual fundraiser “Food for All” a reality in a revised event format.
The winemakers each selected one Saturday evening in August to host their individual event with the personal “Meet your Makers” experience, where participants are taken through a tasting experience in the comfort of their own home. Aniche Cellars kicked off the month on Aug. 1, followed by Willow Wine Cellars on Aug. 15, and Hawkins Cellars will complete the trio on Saturday, Aug. 29. Participants are treated to two bottles of wine, two wine glasses, chocolates, and recipes for the pairing which is lead personally by each winemaker, said a press release.
Willow Wine Cellars co-owner Tarnna Simpers said that as a fulltime teacher, she sees the direct impact of the good things that WAGAP and the food bank do daily. She added, “As a winery, since we got started, we’ve been really community supported and we feel that we should turn around and do the same.”
Brendan Simpers is the winemaker in the family, and Tarnna said the great thing about using the ZOOM virtual meeting was that he could “create a community” using the video screens during the event. She noted that virtual options were really important to their business and they are also quite active with their wine club members on platforms such as Instagram.
“We are truly grateful to these wineries and all of our event sponsors who are helping to make this year’s Food for All event a reality,” said Leslie Naramore, the executive director for WAGAP. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that food insecurity is a huge issue in our communities. Our food banks are needed now more than ever. Our goal is to serve everyone in our communities who needs food.
“We have seen the need for our services increase as people have lost their jobs and we also know that our small business community has been hit hard,“ Naramore said. “Not only does this year’s fundraiser benefit our food banks but it also helps our local family winemakers.”
She invited anyone interested to visit wagap.org or call 509-493-2662 to register for the final event and learn more about the organization and ways support community members in need.
WAGAP is a Community Action Agency dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities address basic human needs, including food security. For more than 50 years, the organization has offered support services to help people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency.
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