Beach Magazine Dec 2015

each education
WINE FLOWS IN THE STREET
for HB Ed Foundation
P
by Richard Foss
eople used to big charity events in the South Bay might be
forgiven for thinking they had gone to the wrong place
when they approached the site of the Hermosa Beach
Education Foundation Wine Walk on October 10. There was
plenty of parking right by the entrance and no valets in sight.
The Wine Walk has an unusual venue – two blocks of Powers
Street.
“That’s what you get for living in a small, supportive community,”
said event organizer Lynn Barr. “I’d estimate that 95 percent
of the people who attend here live in Hermosa. They’re
parents of Hermosa View or Hermosa Valley students. They
bring family and friends, and they’re the ones who get the word
out.”
Those amateur promoters are sharing news of a unique,
annual event that draws 350 people for two blocks of tables
laden food, beer and wine from dozens of area restaurants. It
was sold out as usual, when the capacity crowd gathered on the
unseasonably warm evening. Entertainment was provided by
guitarist Joe Cipolla who sang classic pop hits from the 1940s
onward.
“I’m a crossing guard at Hermosa Valley School and a noon
aide at Hermosa View school. I’ve loved music all my life, but
didn’t do it as a career. I owned clothing stores. Now, I also
teach guitar to children,” Cipolla said.
Other benefactors include the Uncorked wine store, which
has donated over a 1,000 bottles of wine over the years and has
mobilized wineries to participate.
“We don’t have kids in the schools, but we own two businesses
here,” explained co-owner Cathey Knoll-Bonafede. “The Ed
Foundation is our number one charity. To keep our little 1.3
square mile community strong, we need strong schools.”
“Not everybody on this street has kids in the schools, but
they’re incredibly tolerant and supportive,” said HBEF
President Allie Malone. “We try to do the same. Earlier today,
after the road was already blocked off, someone needed to get
out and we moved everything out of the way so they could move
their car.”
For more information, visit HBEF.org.
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1. Hermosa Beach
Education Foundation president
Allie Malone, wine
walk chair Debra Luckey
and publicist Laurie Baker.
2. Lisa Cassity and twin sister
Lauren Copelan of Hook
& Plow.
3. King Harbor Brewing’s
Tom Dunbabin forces a
brew on winemaker Doug
Burkett of Rebel Coast
Winery.
4. Jennifer Oliver, Amber
Kyle, Steve Kyle, Hermosa
Beach Mayor Carolyn Petty
and Corinne Timms.
5. Uncorked owners Kathy
Knoll-Bonafede and Jeff
Bonafede with HBEF events
chair Lynn Barr and Wine
Walk chair Debra Luckey.
6. Joe Cipolla entertained
the crowd with his voice
guitar and sax.
7. Standing Room’s
Jonathan Baran, Lowell
Bakke and Skip Bakke.
8. Mediterraneo chef Pedro
Pureco and server Corey
Cardinal.
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32 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • December 10, 2015