Contact: Raymond Courtemanche, 707-310-4152
FAIRFIELD, Calif., Aug. 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- When Steve and Linda Tenbrink, local farmers and Vintners, heard that a 21 year old had been elected to their local city council in 2007 they were excited that a fresh set of eyes and a youthful zeal would now have a chance to take the city of Fairfield CA in a new positive direction.
Little did they know that 12 months later their world would collide with the family of that councilman, Matt Garcia, in an act of love that has brought a world of change and tens of thousands of dollars to the neediest of nonprofit groups in the area.
On September 1st of 2008, just ten months after Matt Garcia was elected to the Fairfield CA city council he was tragically murdered.
Almost immediately, friends and family of the fallen councilman created the "Matt Garcia Foundation" and the "Dream Team" to keep the Dream Alive of Supporting Youth, Stopping Crime and strengthening the Community, the very issues that Garcia ran on and got elected to do.
Matt's mother, Teresa Courtemanche says, "we cannot change the results of that tragic day in September but we can all come together to continue the work that my son started."
Just a couple months after the killing, the Tenbrink family approached the family of Matt's and asked if they could donate a limited edition, special bottling dedicated to the memory of Matt. The family agreed and the special blend was created.
The Foundation would sell the bottles to raise monies for the many youth groups and community projects that Matt was always so passionately trying to help.
The wines first appearance was at the Foundations annual Cinco de Mayo event benefiting the Matt Garcia Youth Center operated by the Fairfield Police Activities League. During the benefit event a single bottle was placed out for silent auction that immediately received a high bid by local businessman Michael Fortney and his wife Sherri. This prompted the family to offer an entire case up for an impromptu auction with the winner being Max and Marcela Diaz of Maxicrete, a local Fairfield business finally winning the case for $11,000.
This evening changed the way the rest of the original 32 cases or 384 bottles were going to be released.
Since that special night about a dozen bottles have been given to local charities to be auctioned off going as high as $1300 purchased by Jay Adair, President of Co-Part and his wife Tammi.
Debra Yarbrough Russo, a Board member of the foundation said, "I have served on many boards and Foundations and have never seen a group who is so concerned about all the needs in the community than the Matt Garcia Foundation. They continue to search to find others who can benefit in the community from this special wine."
A limited public release of only 200 bottles are going to be sold for $500 each and the rest donated again to local nonprofits to continue supporting those in need.
The $100,000 raised from the 200 bottles being sold is going to go toward a Gun Buy Back program created to get guns of the streets like the one that killed Matt.
Those purchasing the limited edition wine will be invited to a release at the Tenbrink Family Winery for a special release party to receive their wine and meet the Family along with the "Dream Team".
For more information about the wine sale or about the Matt Garcia Foundation visit them at mattgarciadreamteam.org
