October 14, 2002

WHAT A WEEKEND! Both the Save Our Sunol benefit auction and the Sunol Business Guild's Great Sunol Bed Races and Chili Cook-off were big, fun and successful. I'm still gathering details about the latter, which was a historical event for Sunol, so be sure and catch Around Sunol next week for the story.
This week I'm going to try to thank everyone involved in the SOS fundraiser. This is a nice job when it's all about generosity and hard work for good causes.

The Save Our Sunol fundraiser at Bill and Marlene Rebello's home on Saturday was fabulous, with about a hundred guests. Our special attendees included San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly and his fiancée, Sarah Low, and Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele.

The food, beverages and auction items, all donated, were really stellar and beyond anything we had expected. A number of people put in many hours receiving the goods and designing and setting up for the event. Ron Smith, Derek Johnson, Irv and Diane Tiessen, Tom Harland, Alex Vlacos, Cindy Frillman and Bonnie Feltrop were indispensable in that regard.

Our staff on Saturday did everything from making last minute signs to arranging and serving food, parking cars, taking ticket money, bar tending, clean-up and getting the auction items paid for and into the hands of the high bidders. This awesome group included Louise Throop, Doris Cretan, Thea Silbermann, Lynn Kozma, Diane Heckman, Jane Murphy, Connie DeGrange, Martin Smith, Barbara Egbert, Irv Cretan, Michael James, Pat Stillman, the Van Dyke family, Doreen Dunnihoo, Terry Grimmer, Paul and David Rebello, and David's fiancée, Coco Gonzales and most of the folks mentioned above.
Katharina Icochea-Chaname of Kat's Right Stuff provided serving staff at a generously reduced fee. Wonderful piano music was provided by Carlos Avalon and G. Allen Schell, and our Masters of Ceremonies were Bob Foster and Finley Boag. John Miller provided insurance for the day. And of course, Bill and Marlene were tireless as always, making sure the saloon was perfect, the grounds stunning, and our workers given help whenever it was needed. They also donated the rental of the piano, gorgeous floral arrangements and delicious food and beverages. We just can't thank them enough.

Others who donated food and beverages were Sunolians Julie Lesher, Caren Foster, Diane and Bob Everett, the Tiessen, Cretan, Silbermann, and Van Dyke families, Klay Kunkel, Kelly Sandlin, Terry Grimmer, Diane Heckman, Alex and Marianne Vlacos and Sarah Mills. Businesses in Sunol and the surrounding area were also very generous, including Elliston Vineyards, Little Valley Vineyards, Fenestra Winery, Sunol Food and Liquor, Wente Winery, Livermore Valley Wine Sales, Sunol Valley Golf Club, Pleasanton Liquor, Noland's Cakes and Barones Restaurant.

The auction was a blast and included donations from Sunolians Hans Peeters, Tom and Marianna McManus, Ken Feltrop, Kathleen Shannon, Pat and Bart Stillman, Bob and Cindy Frillman, Tom and Vicki Harland, Kathleen Shannon, the Everett's, Sandi Bohner and Bill Webster of Little Valley Vineyard, Skip Hinsley of Girasole and Big Horn Grill restaurants, the Grandmothers Club, Guin Van Dyke, Gary Canaparo, the Tiessens, Ron Smith, Nancy Davis, Peter and Donna Alexander, the Silbermanns, Andrew Turnbull, Paul and Laura Mirkirmi, members of the Little Brown Church, and Bruce Rogers.

Other generous items were donated by Steve Sweeney, David McLaughlin, Clover Creek, Macy's, Tom McCullough, Sheila Iversen, Darlene Crane, Absolute Chiropractic, Dublin Creek Kennels, Chris Daly, Portrait Displays, Inc., Friends of Filoli, Steve Bloom, White Crane Winery, Joanne and Michael Freemire, Perfectly Maid, Main Street Art Gallery, As Eye See It, Christopher-Michael Salon and Spa, Pleasanton Spa, and Gary Winter.

Phew! It takes a lot of dedicated folks to make a very special event a reality. Save Our Sunol's attorney, Morgan King, put the icing on the cake by reducing the group's legal fees by a very generous amount. Funding the lawsuit against the quarry expansion is what this benefit was all about, and Save Our Sunol is deeply grateful for all of those who donated goods and services, and to all of those who attended the event and went home with great auction items. Hope you all had a terrific time!

Alameda County Supervisor Gail Steele looks at auction items with Pat Stillman, President of Save Our Sunol at the group's benefit on Oct. 5.

Michael James holds up "Bluebirds" by acclaimed biologist and artist Hans Peeters of Sunol. The painting was auctioned at a benefit for Save Our Sunol Oct. 5. (FYI - Pictured: seated: Neil Davies and Pat Stillman. Standing l. - r.: An attendee, Diane Heckman, Jeroen Engelberts, Bree James, Michael James, Julie Lesher;.)

Attendees look at auction items at a benefit for Save Our Sunol at the home of Bill and Marlene Rebello.