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22 | August 10, 2016 | Malibu surfside news Life & Arts
malibusurfsidenews.com
Second Sips and Strokes fundraiser at Paradise Cove a success
Barbara Burke
Freelance Reporter
The T&L Foundation for
Child Care Information’s
second annual Summer
Sips and Strokes fundraiser
was held on Saturday, Aug.
6, in the community center
above Paradise Cove.
The foundation is aimed
at ensuring child care environments
impact the whole
child and to help young
children flourish through
physical and mental wellbeing.
Toward that laudable
end, the foundation
provides mini-grants, education
and outreach programs
to daycare organizations
to strengthen quality
child care and early education
programs through participation
in and education
about health and wellness.
The event seemed to
intrigued those attending
because it allowed them to
enjoy painting with friends,
to sip on wine while overlooking
Malibu Cove, and
to benefit kids in daycare.
One of those attendees was
Geri Fineroff.
“I’m all about kids,”
Fineroff said. “Any organization
that supports education
for healthy kids is important
to me. It’s fun. You
have a little wine, a little
food, and, in my case, I try
to paint. If I make a mess of
that, nobody cares because
it’s all for a great cause.”
Those attending weren’t
entirely on their own for the
painting part of the event.
Brandon Pizzola of Paint
and Sip Studio LA, an art
studio that offers a fun and
unique way to uncork creativity,
showed participants
how to re-create a featured
painting. Pizzola provided
paint and canvases, and
guided those at the event in
the process of unleashing
their inner Van Gogh.
Cori Riggs (left) and Holly Barber work on their paintings
during the class.
“This is a great cause
to help kids in childcare,”
Cherry Papanicolaou said.
“The painting I did last year
is on my wall at home. I
need more art in the house,
and this year’s painting will
hang right next to it.”
In 2015, the inaugural
Summer Sips and Strokes
fundraiser took in $3,600.
The foundation’s board
members carefully reviewed
more than 1,000
applications and the foundation
is currently funding
gardens, nutrition education
and safe physical activity
environments in child
care settings.
“Upon receiving the
great news that we were
one of the agencies
awarded the T&L Foundation
mini-grant, we were
thrilled and excited to
launch our Ready, Set, Go!
project,” said a representative
from Evergreen Child
Care, Inc. “The materials
purchased will help our 400
day care providers expand
their knowledge about nutrition
and portion control
and instill what they will be
learning in their everyday
practices.”
Michelle Slimak’s company,
Apple Valley Family
Child Care, was awareded a
mini-grant, and was excited
that per program received it.
“I can now set up a
separate and comfortable
The class watches the instructor apply the first layer to the painting they will be
replicating.
Instructor Brandon Pizzola (far left) works with (left to right) Cherry Papanicolaou, Nicole Monbarren and Charlie
Von Bermuth during the second annual Summer Sips and Strokes event on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Paradise Cove
Community Center. Photos by Suzy Demeter/22nd Century Media
breastfeeding space in my
child care,” Slimak said. “It
is really great, and I would
like to support the mothers
with a comfortable place to
feed their babies.”
The Sips and Strokes
fundraiser featured silent
auction items including
Disneyland tickets, hotel
stays and restaurant gift
cards, as well as a signed
baseball by Mike Scioscia,
manager of the Los Angeles
Angels.