The full moon shining in a deep sapphire sky only added to the glow at La Luz Center’s brilliant “Noche del Luna” fundraiser in the courtyard of the Barracks last Sunday. The event benefited the bilingual center, which gives support to immigrants in the Valley. It drew more than 300 Valley residents … many in costumes suggesting the days when the Valley belonged to Mexico. Guests reveled in the atmosphere of old California, socializing to the sweet strains of mariachi music as they sipped margaritas served by La Casa, or wines from the many local wineries that support La Luz’s work.
Karen Taylor, of Primavera Foods, broke the stereotypes of Mexican food, as her gracious and talented staff prepared and served a variety of authentic regional dishes; ranging from “corundas” the pyramid-shaped tamales typical of the Puerpecha people of Michoacan, to “tlacoyos,” the stuffed blue corn tortilla from the Aztecs, and “tacos de higadito” – chicken liver tacos. The creative aspect of Taylor’s cuisine was evident in the cantaloupe gazpacho, a fall harvest delight.
The gathering was essentially a celebration of the work of the La Luz Center, which is “dedicated to helping immigrants succeed in Sonoma Valley.” Mario Castillo, Vineyard Workers Services Program Coordinator for La Luz, introduced the Fund-A-Need portion of the auction. Standing with his 8 year-old son, Castillo held the partygoers spellbound as he recounted his personal story as an immigrant.
Having come from Michoacan to the Valley to pick grapes 19 years ago, the young Castillo had found himself without work that first December after harvest. He received a helping hand toward his rent from the newly-founded La Luz Center. Now a coordinator at La Luz – as well the newest member of the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights – Castillo said his first step toward becoming an established and contributing community member here in the Valley was that support. The next steps were the educational opportunities he took, so he urged his audience to support this auction item whose proceeds would go to the center’s ongoing and expanding education programs. The guests responded, pledging $47,200 to expand computer classes, GED program, and English as a Second Language classes, all of which currently have waiting lists at the Center.
The evening’s success was certainly grounded in the hard work of the 18-person event committee – chaired by the trio of Board President Martha Rosenblatt, Pam Story and Patsy Wynne, and the efforts of the many sponsors and volunteers. This seventh annual fundraiser was the most successful ever, bringing in a total of $179,250, of which Executive Director Stephen Dale anticipates a net figure of more than $155,000 will be available for the center’s various programs.
