A morning walk through vineyards and an abundance of greenery sounds like something pulled straight from a novel, but it’s all happening at the Alma Rosa Winery for their sixth annual fundraising walk, Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction. The walk itself is 4.5 miles long, totalling to about two hours total. It will begin at 9 a.m. on May 17 and participants will have the opportunity to walk through the main ranch road before reconvening for refreshments, food, and wine tasting.
Just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month, Peace of Mind raises funds and awareness for mental health services and research. All the proceeds from registration and additional donations will go to One Mind and the Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara. This year, the walk will be doubling the first 70,000 donations and also doubling the first 25,000 corporate donations.
“Each year, this event highlights the incredible power of community in advancing mental health awareness and support,” said winery owner Bob Zorich. The Peace of Mind walk was the idea of Bob and Barb Zorich and Debra Eagle, the former general manager of Alma Rosa Winery. She returned this year to help organize the event.
The first walk happened during COVID and was completely virtual, but still brought in donations. Now, in its sixth year, Eagle is hoping to see more participants as the event continues to grow each year.
Participants can register for the walk here. Registration can be done individually or in groups. Group registrations of five or more people as a team will also be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a complimentary wine tasting party for up to 12 people at Alma Rosa’s historic Ranch House.
Event check-in will begin the day of at 8 a.m. and participants can park on-site. Complimentary coffee, juice, electrolyte packets, snacks, and sunscreen will be provided by sponsors which include Starbucks, Pressed Juicery, LMNT, Magic Mind, David Protein, and Vacation Sunscreen.
Annmarie Cameron, the CEO of the Mental Wellness Center, and Brandon Staglin, the Co-Founder and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer of One Mind will give speeches on the event’s importance.
“[Participants are] in a great mood and they are really happy that it began their day,” Eagle said. “It’s such a beautiful setting and for a great cause.”
Following the walk, participants can enjoy wine tasting featuring the latest releases from Alma Rosa’s winemaker, Samra Morris, and from other local wineries including The Hilt Estate, Peake Ranch Winery, Sanford Winery, and Clementine Carter Wines. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be provided by Culture Pop, Leisure Project, and Suzy Zimmerman State Farm Insurance. Santa Barbara duo Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan will be playing live music. There will also be food for purchase from the Santa Barbara Food Connection.
For more information about the Peace of Mind fundraising walk, how to register, or how to donate, visit almarosawinery.com/peace-of-mind.
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