Eat, drink and raise money

Locals can eat, drink and help raise money to benefit Costa Mesa

youth at the 2005 CM900 Wine and Food Tasting festival Sunday.

The event is planned as a fundraiser for Costa Mesa United, a

community group working to raise money to build new athletic

facilities at Costa Mesa high schools.

CM900 is the charitable arm of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

Event chair and CM900 member Bill Pierpoint said that as of Thursday,

300 people were expected to attend the event.

Now in its fourth year, the Wine and Food Tasting is one of

CM900’s two major charitable activities. The group also makes an

annual tradition of distributing food for Thanksgiving. Money raised

by the Wine and Food Tasting is always directed to local youth,

Pierpoint said.

“When kids say we need ... a backstop for a ballpark, we’ll buy it

for them,” Pierpoint said.

Local restaurants expected to be a part of the Wine and Food

Tasting include Maggiano’s Little Italy, Darya Fine Persian Cuisine

and Bluewater Grill. The wine list includes o7vinof7 from labels

such as Nickel and Nickel, Far Niente and Cakebread Cellars.

Costa Mesa United’s goal is to raise about $9.4 million to build a

football stadium at Estancia High School and a swimming pool complex

at Costa Mesa High School. Group president David Brooks said Costa

Mesa United members expect to reach their goal sometime next year.

“We’re doing very well. We’re still at three-and-a-quarter

million. Maybe a little more,” Brooks said.

Costa Mesa United’s website showed Thursday that $3.5 million has

been pledged to the organization. Brooks said group members are

searching for sponsors to provide the balance of the needed money.

Brooks is also a member of CM900. Chamber of Commerce president Ed

Fawcett said that other people contribute time to both groups and

that the overlap was a factor when Costa Mesa United was selected as

a beneficiary of this year’s Wine and Food Tasting.

A variety of prizes have been donated for auction and a raffle at

the event. Jeff Teller, president of Orange County Market Place,

donated the raffle prize: a seven-night stay at his Hawaii condo.

Other prizes include a banquet at Newport Rib Company and $1,000 in

gift certificates for the Grant Boys.

The event is scheduled to be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the South

Coast Village Green at the corner of Sunflower Avenue and Bear Street

in Santa Ana. Admission will cost $75 per person. For information,

call Fawcett at (714) 885-9095.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be

reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at

[email protected].