Our Long Table

6th Annual Gala & Auction

June 9, 2024

Thank You for Joining Us!

This year, we are celebrating 35 years of service to Sonoma County! Thanks to you and your generosity, we raised more than $212,000 to continue providing medically tailored meals, healthy groceries, and nutrition support to over 4,000 people living with serious medical conditions.

Over three decades ago, a group of five volunteers gathered around a kitchen table to feed their neighbors in need. Since then, our programs, services, number of volunteers, and number of clients have all grown exponentially. On Sunday, June 9, 2024, we continued the tradition of gathering around the table at our 6th annual gala, Our Long Table, to raise critically needed funds that continue to support and nourish Food For Thought’s clients.

This event was once again hosted at the wonderful Vine Hill House, located on the O’Connell Vineyards in Sebastopol. While overlooking hundreds of acres of world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, guests enjoyed refreshing summer wines, craft beer, live music, an elegant multi-course dinner, an exclusive live auction, and a raffle.

Check out the photos from Our Long Table 2024 by Mindy Breslin Photography

Catering By:

Park Avenue Catering

We are thrilled to have Park Avenue Catering creating a delicious multi-course meal for this event! As a certified Green Business, Park Avenue Catering uses only antibiotic and hormone-free meats, chooses wild and sustainably farmed fish, and works to continually source and support local farmers in Sonoma County. They have created a delicious menu for Food For Thought and guests will be given a choice of three different entrees.

Venue Host Sponsor:

Vine Hill House / O’Connell Vineyards

Vine Hill House is the event site of O’Connell Vineyards, located in the Russian River Valley wine region of Sonoma County, California. Situated on a gentle knoll, surrounded by lovely lawns and flower gardens, it overlooks hundreds of acres of world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards and heirloom organic apple orchards. Vine Hill House has sweeping views of Mt. St. Helena to the north and the Coastal Mountain Range stretching south to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pourings by:

These wineries will be pouring their flagship wines during our cocktail hour before dinner begins. Enjoy tasting through their offerings and get to know the staff behind just a few of Food For Thought’s supporting wineries from around Sonoma County!

Live Music by:

Sonomacana

We welcome the artfully-crafted music and disarming silliness of local band, Sonomacana! Sonomacana showcases Kyle Martin, Lara Brown, Carlo Fuentez, and Dave McLean playing a whole new genre, Sonomacana: a mixture of Americana, reggae, pop fusion, and original compositions that highlight the great vibes of Sonoma County!

Emcee:

Pat Kerrigan, Marconi Award Winning Broadcaster

As a San Francisco native, Pat Kerrigan came to Sonoma County to launch her career in broadcasting in 1980. She held morning show host and co-host positions at North Bay radio stations including KZST, the former Q-105 and 97.7 The River, and was KSRO News Director and Morning Show Host for many years until she retired in 2021.

Pat’s tireless reporting and calming on air presence won countless accolades for herself and KSRO, including two Marconi Awards, during the 2017 wildfires and their aftermath, through subsequent fire and flood seasons, the coronavirus pandemic, and more.

Auctioneer:

Kenn Cunningham, Gavel 4 Good

Born and raised in Northern California – Kenn attended San Francisco State University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication Arts (formerly known as the Radio-Television-Film Department). He pursued a career in radio, which ultimately led to him owning and operating his own radio station that covered Mendocino and Lake counties in Northern California. Kenn attended auction school at the famed World Wide College of Auctioneering in 2001 and set about to begin his career as a benefit auctioneer. Since then he has continued to advance his study of benefit auctions and in 2005 was awarded the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist designation from the National Auctioneers Association.

Thank You to Our 2024 Individual Sponsors

Golden Goblet Sponsor

Laurie Plant

Silver Spoon Sponsors

Barbara and Gary Gerber
Mark Quattrocchi & Tina Kelly

Bronze Fork Sponsors

Bill and Laura Goode
Elizabeth Cotton and John Cotton
Estelle Rogers and Hal Kwalwasser
Jude Henning
Mitch Savitsky and Cheryl Smith
Rodney DeMartini & Frederick Kasl