A Night in Tuscany Benefit Enables North Bay Children’s Center to Support Vulnerable Children in Marin and Sonoma

north bay childrens center

On the last Saturday evening in October, 160 guests enjoyed a taste of Sonoma’s wine country at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards while supporting the North Bay Children’s Center (NBCC) at its annual fall benefit, A Night In Tuscany.

The evening started out with guests sipping fine wines and sampling tasty treats provided by Park Avenue Catering. Another 100 guests attended the event virtually, enjoying Park Avenue’s boxed dinners delivered to their homes and joining the festivities via livestream.

north bay childrens center

Distinguished flamenco guitarist Alec Fuhrman provided a festive musical setting as guests perused the silent auction, casting their bids on a variety of wines, restaurants, art and other collectibles. The bidding wars continued during the seated dinner, where trips to Mexican villas, private wine dinners and a Tuscan getaway were the hot ticket items. Senator Mike McGuire served as the evening’s emcee and auctioneer, passionately connecting guests to the safety net services provided by NBCC for Marin and Sonoma counties’ most vulnerable children.

north bay childrens center

Morton and Basset Spices and Redwood Credit Union kicked off the fund-a-need portion of the evening with a $70,000 matching pledge challenge that resulted in a fund-a-need total of $269,000. An event highlight was the presentation of the 2021 Champion for Children Award to Susan and Dennis McQuaid of Sonoma Valley in recognition of their significant contributions to the health and welfare of children and their families throughout the North Bay.

By the end of the evening, more than $420,000 was raised to support NBCC’s school-readiness and nutrition education programs, and tuition subsidies for low-income families throughout Marin and Sonoma counties.

Event sponsors included Brayton Purcell LLP, Graton Resort and Casino, Arrow Benefits Group, Bank of Marin, Hanson Bridgett LLP, W. Bradley Electric, Bregante + Company LLP and Devcon Construction, Inc.


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A freelance writer in Marin who writes about family, kids and parenting, Glass is the mother to one son, one dog and a hamster named Miss Geri. When shes not writing, trekking up steep hills in Marin or driving her kid to sports practice, she and her family spend time in their tiny cabin in Lake Tahoe. She avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world class science museum and research institution, and the Institute on Aging which provides much needed services to Bay Area seniors and disabled adults. Glass is obsessed with baking the perfect loaf of banana bread, something she makes so often she no longer needs to look at a recipe card.