St. Mark’s Church Donates $5,000 from Cellar Classic to Circle V Ranch Camp

Pictured at the Circle V Ranch Camp, representatives of St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church presented the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Circle V Ranch Camp with a $5,000 donation for “Camperships.” Left to right: From St. Mark’s—Paul Satterblom, Senior Warden; Sharron Luft, Vestry member and Outreach Chair; Richard Nagler, Cellar Classic Committee member; Stephen Pepe, Co-Chair, Cellar Classic; and The Rev. Dr. Randall Day, Priest and Rector. Receiving the check for St. Vincent de Paul—David Fields, Executive Director; Ray Lopez, Camp Director; Sally Corlett, Board Member and Chair, Friends of the Circle V Ranch Camp; and Kathleen Holzheu, Friends of Circle V Ranch Camp member.

The donated funds were raised at the recent St. Mark’s Cellar Classic: An Auction of Rare & Fines Wines and designated for camp scholarships known as “camperships” to send area children to the Circle V Ranch Camp next summer.

The Rev. Dr. Randall Day, St. Mark’s Priest & Rector remarked, “We are so pleased to be able to support Circle V Ranch Camp so Valley kids can have the formative experience of this exceptional camp. We practice a spacious Christianity where there is room for absolutely everyone and this camp expresses our mission through the extraordinary hospitality and caring they extend to children.” Steve Pepe, co-chair of St. Mark’s Cellar Classic stated, “The annual Cellar Classic raises funds to allow St. Mark’s to carry out its role as a public institution that serves the Santa Ynez Valley very widely; and our donation to the Circle V Ranch Camp is the latest example—it’s one of more than 40 non-profit organizations and programs St. Mark’s assisted in 2010-11. We’re delighted that friends of St. Vincent de Paul donated a First Growth Bordeaux and a Grand Cru Burgundy wine to the Cellar Classic auction this year and our donation to the Camp gratefully recognizes their contribution.”

David Fields, Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Los Angeles Council, operators of the Circle V Ranch Camp expressed his gratitude, “This is a first of its kind for us: receiving a donation from an Episcopal Church to help fund our camp. We deeply appreciate the support of St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley with this donation; and on behalf of the Circle V Ranch Camp staff, counselors and most importantly, the kids; we are so grateful for this incredibly generous gift.” Ray Lopez, Circle V Ranch Camp Director added, “What a blessing to be able to bring more children to camp next summer! Thanks so much to all of the kind folks at St. Mark’s.”