By KATH GANNAWAY
IF you have ever raised a glass at Shedfest or the Yarra Valley Shortest Lunch in recent years, then raise a glass again … this time to yourself.
Over the past 17 years the events staged by the Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries Group have raised over $60,000 for local emergency services organisations.
Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries president Tim Cullen from Payne’s Rise Wines presented Seville CFA with a cheque for $5200, the proceeds of the 2015 Shortest Lunch at the brigade’s annual dinner this year.
CFA and SES units have benefited since 2008 when the first event was held and Mr Cullen said over that time $31,900 had been raised from the Shortest Lunch and $31,500 from Shedfest.
“These events are good for us as smaller wineries in the valley,” Mr Cullen said.
“As operators we want to attract people to our individual cellar doors but we work on these two events as a group to promote the smaller wineries of the valley.
“They have proven themselves as successful long-term events and we enjoy putting them together and being able to support our local emergency service volunteers as part of that,” he said.
Seville CFA Captain David Clark thanked the Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries Group and said the money would be put towards celebrations to mark the brigade’s 75th anniversary next November.
