by Mark McDermott
In 1995, Bill Clinton was in his first term as president, the internet was new, iPhones didn’t yet exist, and Manhattan Beach, along with the rest of Southern California, was still rattled from the previous year’s magnitude 6.7 earthquake. In June of that year, down on Rosecrans Avenue, a fledgling but growing young organization called the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation held its first signature event. It was called the Manhattan Wine Auction, and its intent was to raise money for local schools.
That first Wine Auction was a relatively humble gathering. It took place at the Manhattan Beach Country Club and featured 15 restaurants and 10 wineries. That first event barely broke even, but started a tradition that would culminate in helping MBEF become one of the most robust and effective education foundations in the state.
Three decades later, the Manhattan Wine Auction is the signature event not only for MBEF but for the entire community. It now features more than 40 restaurants, nearly 60 wineries, distilleries, and brewing companies, and attracts 1600 people, selling to capacity every year.
The 30th Annual Manhattan Wine Auction, which takes place on June 8, will include a “lot” for auction that includes a wine representing each year since 1994.
“We’re celebrating 30 years by representing it, as we should, right in the fruit in the wine itself,” said Hilary Mahan, MBEF executive director. “We know that we’re going to have the 31st, the 32nd and the 33rd, so other than that we’re not truly focused on the year. Because this event has withstood the test of time. It has evolved and it has shifted and we’re just excited for another amazing event that has thousands of people who are coming together to support our public school system, whether or not they have a student in the system here in Manhattan Beach. And that’s always a wonderful feeling, to be in a space where people are enjoying what they’re doing and knowing that they’re contributing.”
MBEF has utilized the event to build an endowment that alone generates well over a $1 million annually in grants to local schools, almost 20 percent of the $6.1 million MBEF contributed to MBUSD schools last year. It was a masterstroke of long-range financial planning that has literally paid dividends.
“It truly is living up to its mission, where it’s going to help support our students today with amazing opportunities and initiatives, but then also support students in the future,” Mahan said. “This community is really beginning to understand and see the fruits of that labor of the individuals who spearheaded the endowment years ago…. We knew we had to live through not being able to take the funds out for a rainy day, we knew we needed to build that principle, and it’s now paying off. It’s now truly serving in the way that we hoped it would, and it serves as a model, I think, for public education.”
While much has changed in 30 years, one aspect of the Wine Auction has only grown – the critical importance of MBEF’s contributions to MBUSD. Several waves of educational funding reforms over the years have successively diminished the state’s contributions to MBUSD, making it one of the lowest funded school districts, on a per-pupil basis, in all of California. As a result, in March, the Board of Education approved the layoffs of up to 38 full time positions. The subsequent approval of the Measure MB parcel tax may allow up to 20 of those pink slips to be rescinded. MBEF is dedicating its “Paddle Raise” at the Wine Auction to saving more of those jobs. Last year, the Paddle Raise generated over $300,000 towards STEAM programs. This year, the hope is that it will raise $500,000 to save educators’ jobs.
“We’re trying to bring back all those educators who were laid off,” Mahan said. “We’re trying to ensure that we can have a larger impact than we would in a typical year.”
A newly established tradition within MBEF is the Legacy Award, which recognizes individuals who have played key roles in supporting the foundation and the school district. This year’s recipient is John Oshiro, a longtime volunteer and former MBEF board member who has been central in building the foundation, and MBUSD’s music programs.
“John Oshiro has been a tremendous support system not only for MBEF for our public schools here in Manhattan Beach as well,” Mahan said. “When his daughter was a young age, he helped to spearhead the incredible music departments that we have really grown, in the elementary schools but especially the middle school and high school. He helped drive a U-Haul across the country when our orchestra went to Carnegie Hall for the first time. He’s been the biggest proponent supporting our parcel taxes, and he’s still our IT support here in the MBEF offices. He is our volunteer support for when we need to troubleshoot. So truly, this gentleman is a dedicated, humble, and phenomenal human being.”
Oshiro said he was thrilled to be so honored, but also reluctant to take too much credit.
“I can’t take all the credit,” he said. “A lot of folks joined in and helped. We were all a forceful team, because of the past waves of layoffs. Every generation steps up and does their good deeds for MBEF. And unfortunately, it’s happened again – in the past couple of years, we’re seeing more and more layoffs, and the state’s in trouble budgetarily. And of course, the first thing that goes are all of these wonderful extended programs outside of reading, writing and arithmetic, things like PE and elementary school class size reduction, the music programs…All of those are the first things to get cut, and that’s what MBEF is all about. We’re there to help.”
Oshiro said the event itself never fails to remind him what a special community he lives in.
“It just amazes me how much people step up and buy these wine lots for way over market value,” he said. “Even the Paddle Raise, you just go around and say, ‘Wow, there’s so much gratitude in our community.’ They’re willing to raise their paddles to put some money into the bucket, and all they get in return is some acknowledgement with their name on a big screen that shows up and says how much they donated.”
“It’s fabulous. It’s amazing,” Oshiro said. “But at the end, it is for the kids. And that’s what makes it so spectacular to me.” ER
