Wine and Roses raised about $46,000 for Make-a-Wish, Railway Foundation

The numbers are back on An Evening of Wine and Roses, the annual benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which this year also helped the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation.

"We just got a calculation on our event, and we did about $46,000," said Toni York, community service chairwoman for the Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors, which organizes the event.

"It went great," she said Sunday. "We've had nothing but rave reviews."

About 375 attended the fund-raiser Saturday night at the Governor's Mansion.

More than 30 wineries from Nevada and California were represented.

"We had a couple extra show up at the last minute," said York, also the association's chairwoman elect.

Area restaurants including Bodines, Rancho Grande, Adele's, Sierra Nevada Golf Ranch and Starbucks provided hors d'oeuvres.

While jazz man Craig Fletcher played guitar with an accompanying bongo, hundreds browsed among silent auction items.

"The music was really fun," said York.

Up for auction were two bronze statues and other artwork, vacations, special theme packages, golf and dinners for two.

"We sold just about everything," she said.

For 10 years, the association has donated more than $200,000 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, said York. The money helps grant about 30 wishes a year. Because of last year's success, he Northern Nevada Railway foundation was included this year.

"We feel that the Virginia & Truckee Railroad project will bring great economic impact to our community," York said.

York and the Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors are looking forward to another evening of wine and roses next year.

"We're going to do it at the same place," she said. "The Governor's Mansion was very pleased with the way our event ran so they invited us back for next year."