Cheers to Charity - A great way to spend a hot August night!

Cheers to Charity, a festival of great food, fine wines, craft beers and scrumptious home brews, is on the calendar for Saturday, August 8 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. Held in an expanded plaza at veritas tapas and wine bar, Cheers to Charity is a fund-raising event benefitting six local nonprofit organizations.

Organized by COMMUNITY CLEAN SWEEP, a community improvement nonprofit organization, Cheers to Charity invests in small charitable organizations who are making a difference within the communities of greater Tehachapi. Live music and dancing to the sounds of Movin' On, choice and hand-rolled cigars, an awesome silent auction and a water, coffee and dessert bar round out the fun and the fund-raising.

This year's chosen beneficiaries include: Salvation Army Youth Center, Stallion Springs CERT, Healing House, Kiwanis Club of Tehachapi, Tehachapi Economic Development Council, and the Tehachapi VALLEY WRESTLING CLUB. "Our beneficiaries support youth, community preparedness, economic development and assistance for victims of abuse. We believe that this diverse group will touch lives throughout greater Tehachapi," said Mary Beth Garrison a Cheers to Charity organizer. Applications for consideration as a 2016 beneficiary will be available on the Cheers to Charity website on Dec. 1, 2015.

Aspen Builders, Inc., BHE Renewables - A Berkshire Hathaway Energy Business, Advantage Real Estate Group, Sangera Subaru, Sun Select, Allstate Insurance, Bank of the Sierra, Rio Tinto, World Wind Services, Berchtold Equipment, Don Juan's Latin Fusion Cuisine, and RST Cranes are local businesses who have committed to supporting this year's event. The Loop newspaper and The Cub are media sponsors - both will be giving away tickets to the event this summer.

Wines from Souza Family Vineyards, Triassic Legacy Vineyards, Opolo Vineyards, Sculpterra Winery, J Lohr Vineyards, Donato Family Vineyard, Jellybean and Columbia Crest Winery are on slate for the evening - more offerings will be added. Firestone Brewery and Honey Wagon Brewery have committed to pouring their popular craft beers; hand-rolled cigars are available from the Cigar Boss; and 12 home brewers will compete for bragging rights at the Home Brew Competition.

Tickets are now available online, at a reduced cost of $45, through May 31, 2015. Tickets will cost $55 from June 1 through Aug. 7; remaining tickets are $75 at the door. Log on to cheerstocharity.net to purchase tickets and secure your place at the event. Beginning in June, tickets will also be available for $55 at Veritas Tapas and Wine Bar. With an estimated 500 attendees, the evening is already selling quickly.

Cheers to Charity - a great way to spend a hot August night!