Cheers to Charity causes fun and celebration

We know there aren't a lot of places for kids to play and judging from all the fun being had by the revelers of the 8th Annual Cheers to Charity Event, maybe there aren't enough places for the adults to play either!

This was a smash, and it was all for a good cause. Three, actually: the nonprofit recipients are Healing Hearts Farm Sanctuary, who will improve their property to strengthen the ability to connect people with animals and nature and facilitate mental health healing; The Alano Club who will upgrade their meeting facilities for those dealing with addiction; Tehachapi Parks Foundation will replace a decades-old swing set with a set that is accessible to all – their mission is to create safe places for our kids and to create a better quality of life through recreation. (There were also mini grants donated to six other partner nonprofits.)

Local chefs definitely impressed with their tasty tapas. Microbreweries indulged our taste for finely locally-crafted beers; wineries showed us how Tehachapi's elevation and the warm winds of Bakersfield and Mojave seal in a special taste that can't be duplicated anywhere in the world. There was also vegan food and a spirit-free bar that served tasty non-alcoholic concoctions.

And there were cigars.

Once the "gambling" tables broke out, the night reached another pleasurable crescendo. Kids in their 80s and 30s alike were having serious fun together in what was a true community event, says Mary Beth Garrison, C2C President.

"It takes a village to put on something like this, and we did it! The compliments we received on the evening were over-the-top excellent," she said.

Mary Beth pointed out that the gaming tables were very successful for the causes. They allowed for participants to donate to the good causes in a fun way.

The venue, Aviator Park, was lit up beautifully... the trees provided a wonderful shading canopy as lights dangled among the branches. A dessert bar was piled so high and looked so good that no one dared touch it – until they implored us to take as much as we wanted, and then the walls came down! It was like being a kid in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

The VIP tickets got a top-notch meal this year with wine... there was a lively DJ who liked to get out on the floor and dance with the guests... colorful parking attendants made sure people got around safely... several local businesses had booths in support of the event, nicely rounding out the community aspect... I also happen to know there was a strident group of day-after volunteers cleaning it all up.

Here are the award winners:

Brewer's Choice –

Patrick Ray for The Cosmic Haze IPA.

Pro's Choice –

Neil Doherty for Sexy

(A hazy peaches and cream ale).

Taster's Choice –

Louis Varga for Irish Red (Irish Red Ale).

Designated driver tickets were also in play, selling about 50 of them! The overall consensus was this was a great night out for adults to connect and safely play in the wild while generous donations enriched lives on many levels while sampling the culinary artistry of our fellow locals: WIN-WIN-WIN.