$1,026,400 Raised for Children's Charities at the 2000 World Croquet Championship Live Auction       Clockwise from top left, Brice Jones, president, Sonoma Cutrer and host of the event, with Paige Poulos, PR, Brett Lauter, Chief Marketing officer of evinyard.com, Hog Island Oyster Crew, Dancing after the riveting event at beautiful Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards and Michael Walsh, Food & Beverage International, Left and Louis Foppiano, Foppiano Vineyards             Spurred by the generous spirit of its 1,400 guests, Sonoma-Cutrer's 2000 World Croquet Championship Live Auction raised $1,026,400 for children in life-threatening circumstances on Saturday, May 20th. All Auction proceeds will be donated to the Greater Bay Area Chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Polly Klaas Foundation, and Magic Moments. charities dedicated to helping children in need. Over the last six years the Championship has donated nearly $3 million to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Held annually on the grounds of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, the Championship once again broke its own record of $804,000, maintaining its position as the largest charity auction in Sonoma County and one of the nation's top-grossing wine auctions benefiting children's charities. "The phenomenal success of this event just shows that our society cares deeply about the welfare and happiness of its children," said Sonoma-Cutrer founder and President Brice C. Jones. "We are constantly   inspired and awed by the unbounded generosity of our sponsor and patrons. Once again, we owe a debt of heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this possible." The live auction began shortly after David Maugham of England was declared World Croquet Champion. The Championship -- considered the ``Wimbledon of Croquet'' -- attracts two dozen of the world's top-ranked croquet players to Sonoma-Cutrer each year. This year marks the fifteenth World Croquet Championship Live Auction, hosted by Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards.Founded in 1985 by Sonoma-Cutrer president Brice C. Jones, the Championship is dedicated to assisting children in need. The 16th World Croquet Championship and Auction will be held at Sonoma-Cutrer on May 19, 2001. To inquire about participating as a corporate sponsor or to make table reservations for next year's Championship, please contact Carey Sakai, executive director of the World Croquet Championship at 707/528-1181. 26   Previous | Next | Table of Contents | www.fbworld.com