The Manhattan Wine Auction Returned in Person to Raise $1.3 Million for the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation
Raise a glass.
- CategoryEat & Drink, People
- Written byDarren Elms
- Photographed byKen Pagliaro
The bottles. The bidding. The electricity of a community reunited. The Manhattan Wine Auction roared back to the South Bay for the first in-person event since 2019. With a sold-out crowd of 2,000 guests, there’s no debating that this beloved annual event was the hot ticket of 2022.
“It is clear that the tradition of the Manhattan Wine Auction holds a special place in the hearts of our community members,” shares Manhattan Beach Education Foundation (MBEF) executive director Hilary Mahan. “The outpouring of support—from the entire community—is unmistakable year after year, but this year in particular was special.”
Featuring 45 South Bay restaurants and wines from 80 wineries, the festive event at the Manhattan Country Club dazzled guests with favorites like Boa Steakhouse, The Arthur J, DAOU Family Estates and Gray Whale Gin. In the Center Court, a 10-piece band kept the party going to the final minutes.
The MBEF 2022 Legacy Award was presented to SKECHERS cofounder and president Michael Greenberg to honor his commitment to the Friendship Foundation, the Skechers Foundation and the annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, of which contributions to MBEF have totaled more than $2 million over the course the event’s lifetime.
The MBEF board of directors also dedicated the annual Paddle Raise to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). More than $250,000 was raised for this important initiative, including a $100,000 contribution from Chevron.
“MakerSpace and science labs in all of our elementary schools, STEM electives in the middle school, and a robust technology and engineering program at the high school have inspired our students to consider how STEM is incorporated into everything they do,” says Hilary. “The partnership with Chevron over the years has been instrumental in building the current STEM programs, and the funds raised at the wine auction will build on this momentum to equip our students with more opportunities for exploration and discovery.”
