Drafting in the face of hunger
Lolita Harper
Jerry Kolbly is proud of the Newport Beach blond he is bringing to
the Food, Wine and Micro-Brew Fest at South Coast Plaza on Thursday.
And why wouldn’t he be? It just happens to be one of the signature
beers at Kolbly’s popular peninsula hot spot, Newport Beach Brewing
Co., and one he can’t wait to promote at the annual charity event.
The annual Food, Wine and Microbrew Fest was designed to address
the local need for charitable donations. At the event, many Orange
County restaurants, regional vineyards and microbreweries will serve
up samples of their specialties to raise funds and awareness during
Hunger Awareness Month. Guests will also be treated to live music and
dancing.
The event will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County
-- the largest hunger relief organization in the county -- which
collects and distributes food to about 200,000 people per month, food
bank spokeswoman Marcella Barba said.
Despite Orange County’s wealth, Barba said the bank has seen an
increase in hungry people in the past year. Officials have reported
an increase of 10,000 food bank recipients per month in the past
year. With the lagging economy, Barba estimates that more than
450,000 county residents, mainly children and seniors, will be at
risk of hunger and malnutrition every month.
Food bank officials can produce 30 meals for each dollar raised at
the event, Barba said. And with tickets starting at $40 a person, she
hopes for another ground-breaking fund-raiser.
Kolbly said he enjoys featuring his product at the festival year
after year because he accomplishes three crucial tasks at once:
helping a charitable organization, marketing signature brews and,
most important, having a good time.
“We’ve been doing this for years,” Kolbly said. “The people are
great and it’s a lot of fun.”
Mike Stein, the area business manager for Robert Mondavi Winery,
said the company is proud to help the Second Harvest Food Bank. Stein
said it is also good to mingle with local restaurateurs, many of whom
serve various Mondavi wines.
Stein said he will showcase a special Chilean wine, Caliterra, as
well as the leading Woodbridge brand.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.