Author: Lacey Clifton-Jensen

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Rotary Club of Paso Robles Awards $94,000 in Scholarships to Local High School Seniors in 2024 – Thank You Winemakers’ Cookoff Supporters

The Rotary Club of Paso Robles recently awarded over $94,000 in scholarships to local high school seniors.  Rotary Club of Paso Robles Scholarship Chair Scott Laycock and Club President Bob Vilhauer presented a total of $92,360 in 18 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 at a scholarship award event held at Paso Robles High School on June 6.  The smaller scholarships were for graduates planning to attend Cuesta College while the largest $10,000 scholarships were multi-year awards for students planning on attending 4-year universities. 

The Rotary Club of Paso Robles also hosted the scholarship winners and their families to their weekly lunch meeting on Thursday June 13, where they were recognized by all club members for their outstanding scholastic achievements. The recipients shared their plans for continuing their education with those in attendance.  Rotary Club of Paso Robles Scholarship Chair Scott Laycock noted:

“the accomplishments of the scholarship applicants are truly amazing, making selection of the winners by the club’s Scholarship Selection Committee challenging but very fulfilling.” 

These scholarships are enabled by the annual Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cookoff, the largest fundraiser put on by the Rotary Club of Paso Robles each year.  All proceeds from this event go to the Harlow Ford Scholarship Fund dedicated to funding scholarships for local high school seniors at Paso Robles High School and Liberty High School to attend trade schools, community colleges, and universities.  To date, the Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers’ Cookoff has raised over $1,000,000.  This year’s 25th annual event will be held on Saturday, August 10, at the Paso Robles Event Center.

In addition to these scholarships, the Rotary Club of Paso Robles awarded an additional $2,000 in Legacy scholarships through the club’s Youth Fund.

About Rotary International

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.4 million members of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary members improve lives and bring positive, lasting change to communities around the world by promoting peace, fighting disease (like the mission for the global eradication of polio), providing clean water and sanitation, supporting education, saving mothers and children, growing local economies, and protecting the environment.

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Paso Robles Wineries and Breweries Share Food and Fundraising at 24th Winemakers’ Cookoff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paso Robles, California, August 4, 2023 –

The Rotary Club of Paso Robles is preparing for their 24th wine, beer, and food fundraising event here on the Central Coast of California – the annual Winemakers’ Cookoff in Paso Robles, California.  The event is set for Saturday, August 12th, from 6:00-9:00 PM at the Paso Robles Events Center.  The Winemakers’ Cookoff is the largest fundraiser put on by the Rotary Club of Paso Robles and all monies raised after expenses go directly into the Harlow Ford Scholarship Fund for local high school seniors at Paso Robles High School and Liberty High School.  Last year alone, Paso Robles Rotary Services, Inc. gave out nearly $90,000 in scholarships to students preparing to attend trade schools, colleges, and universities.  The goal of the club is to be able to give out $100,000 in scholarships annually.

The Winemakers’ Cookoff gives local wineries and breweries a chance to showcase more than what they can pour, but their culinary skills as well.  The event offers four competition categories for participants: the People’s Choice Award, Judges’ Award, Professional Chef Award, and Spirit Award.  Attendees are able to sip and savor throughout the event and use their tickets to cast their vote.  The wineries and breweries make every attempt to impress participants by pouring great pairings with the food they offer and often go above and beyond to delight attendees with fun themes to show off their fundraising spirit.  Many wineries and breweries return year after year to vie for the top awards, but each year brings new competitors to the event as well, leaving no shortage of food, wine, and beer to sample.  

In addition to the lineup of generous wineries and breweries which can be previewed on the Winemakers’ Cookoff website, the Rotary Club of Paso Robles is able to support this tremendous fundraiser thanks to the generosity of other local businesses through sponsorships.  This year, Stifel is returning as the title sponsor along with other event sponsors including Guaranteed Rate, Central Coast Home Health and Hospice, Idler’s Home, and RE/MAX Parkside Real Estate.

Attendees must be 21 years or older to attend and ticket sales will be limited but can be purchased online in advance to secure a spot.  Tickets are available for $100 per person or $50 each for designated drivers.  Sponsorship opportunities are also available.  For more information on the Winemakers’ Cookoff, visit https://winemakerscookoff.com or on Facebook at @WMCOPasoRobles.

About the Rotary Club of Paso Robles 

The Rotary Club of Paso Robles (#1602) was chartered in 1924 and has a long history of “service above self,” the motto of Rotary International.  The Club is very active in the community through scholarships, sponsorship of the local Boy Scouts of America organization, and raising money for local projects like homeless shelters, food banks, and dictionaries for third-grade students.  To get more information on fundraising, events, speaking opportunities, or to join the Rotary Club of Paso Robles, please visit https://pasoroblesrotary.org.

About Rotary International 

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.4 million members of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary members improve lives and bring positive, lasting change to communities around the world by promoting peace, fighting disease (like the mission for the global eradication of polio), providing clean water and sanitation, supporting education, saving mothers and children, growing local economies, and protecting the environment.  For more information, visit https://www.rotary.org.

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