Local winery partners and corporate and in-kind sponsorships join the cause to raise critical funds for mental health
(May 2, 2024; Buellton, Calif.)—Santa Barbara County’s Alma Rosa Winery will host its fifth annual Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction fundraising walk on the morning of Saturday, May 18, 2024, at its estate in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Conceived by Alma Rosa’s proprietors Bob and Barb Zorich and General Manager Debra Eagle to support community services for mental health, as well as research and treatment for anxiety and depression, the winery’s Peace of Mind fundraising campaign has raised $745,000 over the last four years for two organizations, One Mind and the Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara.
“May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are looking forward to welcoming guests back to our estate for the fifth annual Peace of Mind fundraising walk,” says Eagle. “Each year, it’s special to see our greater community come together to support the critical work of these two organizations. Funds raised through this event will make an impactful difference in advocacy, research, and treatment for individuals experiencing mental illness.”
The 10,000-step walk will feature varied terrain and sweeping views of Alma Rosa’s estate vineyards. To participate, interested individuals may visit the event’s website to register for the walk, view leaderboards or make personal donations to a beneficiary of their choice. The registration fee to participate is $55 per person, which is automatically split between the two organizations.
Following the walk, the winery will host an intimate reception at a covered hillside tasting space, featuring the latest releases from Alma Rosa’s Winemaker Samra Morris, as well as from other local wineries including The Hilt Estate, Peake Ranch Winery, The Brander Vineyard, Sanford Winery, Casa Dumetz Wines and Loubud Wines. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be provided by additional sponsors including Culture Pop, Leisure Project and Suzy Zimmerman State Farm Insurance.
Following the event, for an added donation, Alma Rosa will host a three-course private luncheon catered by Full of Life Flatbread at the historic Ranch House from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. with special guests including Brandon Staglin, President of One Mind, and Annmarie Cameron, Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara. Tickets to attend are $250 per person and all proceeds from the luncheon will be directed towards One Mind and Santa Barbara’s Mental Wellness Center. Limited seats are available for purchase here. The private luncheon menu can be found here.
Participants who register a group of five or more people as a team for the event will also be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a complimentary wine tasting party for up to 12 people at Alma Rosa’s historic Ranch House. Online registration will close on Friday, May 17 at 5:00 p.m., and event check-in will begin on Saturday, May 18 at 8:00 a.m. Onsite parking will be available at 7250 Santa Rosa Road, Buellton, CA. Complimentary coffee, juice and snacks will be provided courtesy of Peace of Mind sponsors including Starbucks, Pressed Juicery, Kate’s Real Food and Tosi Snacks, as well as sunscreen from Vacation Sunscreen. The walk will start at 9:00 a.m. and will last approximately two hours. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and non-alcoholic refreshments at the top of the estate.
To amplify and incentivize the fundraising efforts of the event, the Zorichs will be matching individual donations dollar-for-dollar up to $35,000 for each organization, for a total of up to $70,000, and corporate donations dollar-for-dollar up to 25,000. Alma Rosa Winery is grateful to have already received generous donations from Rio Vista Chevrolet in Buellton and SCI Specialty Construction.
For more information about Alma Rosa’s commitment to mental health awareness and support, please visit: https://almarosawinery.com/
About Alma Rosa Winery
Alma Rosa Winery, a leading wine producer from Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills, is dedicated to making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines that express the unique terroir of the appellation. Alma Rosa’s wines are layered, vibrant and balanced, reflecting the cool climate impact of the Pacific Ocean breezes that are funneled through the east-west transverse mountain range of the region. The winery was founded in 2005 by Richard Sanford, who was the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills in 1971. Today the winery is owned by Bob and Barb Zorich, who purchased the winery in 2014. In 2019 Samra Morris took the helm as winemaker, becoming the first Bosnian American winemaker in California.
For more information about Alma Rosa Winery, please visit almarosawinery.com.
About One Mind™
Launched in 1995 by Shari and Garen Staglin as their means to “run toward the problem” of their son’s schizophrenia diagnosis, One Mind is today a leading mental health non-profit that heals lives by direct support for neuropsychiatric brain research. By convening the brightest minds in brain science and advocacy around a collective vision of “Accelerating Brain Health for All,” One Mind is advancing a three-pronged program strategy of accelerating discoveries, improving services, and transforming culture. Through such achievements as enrolling over 10,000 patients in innovative clinical studies and the One Mind at Work initiative that has brought supportive workplace mental health practices to over 7 million employees, One Mind is creating a world where all facing brain health challenges can build healthy, productive lives. Brandon Staglin, whose own experiences triggered the creation of the non-profit, now serves as its President, exemplifying the change One Mind seeks in its disruptive research and workplace initiatives.
About Mental Wellness Center
With 77 years of service to the Santa Barbara community, Mental Wellness Center has been the leading provider of mental health support to adults, families, and youth. The organization instructs in mental health education to nearly 5,000 local students, operates a residential services program which is home to community members in seven residential sites, and serves individuals and families impacted by mental illness through support groups and social connection programs like its onsite recovery day program that sees hundreds of individuals, both housed and unhoused, living with severe mental illness.
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