Santa Barbara County’s Alma Rosa Winery to Host Sixth Annual “Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction” Fundraising Walk on May 17, 2025
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(February 18, 2025, BUELLTON, Calif.)—Brian Allard, Vice President of Alma Rosa Winery, a leading producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhône variety wines from Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA, is thrilled to announce that the winery’s sixth annual “Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction” fundraising walk will return to the Alma Rosa estate on Saturday, May 17 at 9:00 a.m.
Early bird pricing ($50/person) is now available through April 15, 2025. Regular pricing ($60/person) will run from April 16 to May 16, 2025, with registration closing before midnight. To sign up, donate or start a fundraising campaign for the upcoming walk, visit the link here. All proceeds from the event, including 100% of the registration fee, will benefit both One Mind™ and Mental Wellness Center of Santa Barbara.
The 10,000-step, or approximately 4.5-mile walk, will begin at the entrance of Alma Rosa’s 628-acre estate property and traverse across the hillside vineyards located off Santa Rosa Road in Buellton, CA. Registered participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or other non-alcoholic refreshments at the top of the winery’s Caracol and Attente vineyard blocks, while taking in the sweeping hilltop views of the region. Following the walk, the winery will host an intimate winetasting reception with current releases from Alma Rosa and additional wineries in the region, including The Hilt Estate, Peake Ranch Winery and Clementine Carter. Additional refreshments and snacks will be provided by sponsors including Starbucks in Buellton and Suzy Zimmerman State Farm Insurance.
“We are excited to welcome guests back to the Alma Rosa estate for our sixth annual Peace of Mind fundraising walk,” says Brian Allard. “This event has become a deeply meaningful tradition for us, and we’re grateful to everyone who has supported this cause over the years. Mental health affects all of us, and our goal is to bring more people into the conversation, raise awareness and provide crucial support for organizations like One Mind and the Mental Wellness Center. We hope to inspire even more people to join us this year—whether by walking, donating or simply learning more about how they can help make a difference.”
The Peace of Mind fundraising walk was launched in 2020 by Alma Rosa Proprietors Bob and Barb Zorich to support mental health community services, as well as fund research on the causes, treatment and potential cures for anxiety and depression. Over the last five years, the winery has raised over $955,000 for these two organizations. To continue to amplify the efforts of the event, the Zorichs will be matching individual donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $35,000 to both One Mind and Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara. With the hope to garner greater support and funds raised, the Zorichs will also be matching corporate sponsorships up to an additional $25,000 and are grateful to have already received a generous donation from WineDirect.
The Zorichs have a long history of supporting mental health-related causes, Bob currently is an Emeritus Board Member of the Hope and Healing Center & Institute and previously served on the board of the WorkFaith Connection of Houston. The Zorichs are also supporters of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation in New York City and the Kingdom Giving Fund in Colorado.
For more information about Alma Rosa’s commitment to mental health awareness and support, please visit: almarosawinery.com/peace-of-mind. A link to images and press materials can be found here.
About Alma Rosa Winery
Alma Rosa Winery, a leading wine producer from Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills, is dedicated to making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhône variety wines that express the unique terroir of the appellation. Alma Rosa’s wines are layered, vibrant and balanced, reflecting the cool climate impact of the Pacific Ocean breezes that are funneled through the east-west transverse mountain range of the region. The winery was founded in 2005 by Richard Sanford, who was the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills in 1971. Today the winery is owned by Bob and Barb Zorich, who purchased the winery in 2014. In 2019 Samra Morris took the helm as winemaker, becoming the first Bosnian winemaker in California.
For more information about Alma Rosa Winery, please visit almarosawinery.com.
One Mind is at the forefront of a transformative movement in mental health, delivering innovative solutions to address critical gaps in mental health research, care, workplace wellness, and public perception. Guided by science and lived experience, we fund groundbreaking research, accelerate innovation, enhance workplace wellness, and engage the public to reshape mental health care and awareness. With science as our cornerstone, and people at the heart of what we do, our programs are setting new standards for effective interventions and redefining the future of mental health.
About Mental Wellness Center
With 78 years of service to the Santa Barbara community, Mental Wellness Center has been the leading provider of mental health support to adults, families, and youth. The organization instructs in mental health education to nearly 5,000 local students, operates a residential services program which is home to community members in seven residential sites, and serves individuals and families impacted by mental illness through support groups and social connection programs like its onsite recovery day program that sees hundreds of individuals, both housed and unhoused, living with severe mental illness.