Business & Tech

Healdsburg-area Wineries Fill Grape Gondolas With 2,060 Pounds of Toys for Tots

Russian River Valley beats Alexander Valley by 20 pounds in first-annual wine country gondola toy drive.

 

A head-to-head competition between wineries of the Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley capped off Friday at a weigh-in of toys donated to Toys for Tots.

In the contest, each participating Healdsburg-area wine region filled a massive grape gondola with toys and coats for local children in need.

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Russian River Valley won the challenge by just 20 pounds with 1,040 of donations to Alexander Valley’s 1,020 pounds for a grand total of 2,060 pounds.

Hosted by John Jordan of Jordan Vineyard & Winery of Alexander Valley and Judy Jordan of J Vineyards & Winery of Russian River Valley, this three-week toy drive benefited Toys for Tots and drew nearly 20 wineries.

More than 50 community members turned out at Friday's grand finale gondola weigh-in event, as each team’s holiday-decorated vintage grape gondola pulled up to Jordan Winery’s scale house in Healdsburg for the official weigh-in.

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U.S. Marine Reservists, leaders of Sonoma County’s Toys for Tots program, were also on hand to help wineries load last-minute donations into the gondolas.

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