When Oxnard-based Food Share of Ventura County held its annual Blue Jean Ball benefit at Tierra Rejada Farms in Moorpark., a phalanx of local eateries, wineries and regional restaurant chains answered the call to help the nonprofit fundraise for solving hunger issues. The Sept. 26 event, Food Share — which operates out of a 36,000-square-foot warehouse space with a 30-person staff feeding 75,000 people each month — drew almost 300 guests and raised $75,000 toward the nonprofit’s mission to distribute healthy food locally via its programs and partner agencies. Last year, the nonprofit delivered 13.2 million pounds of food to the region’s population. “No one (in Ventura County) should have to go hungry,” Chief Exective Monica White told 300 people in attendance, adding that her organization must raise $3.5 million annually to fulfill its mission. Ventura-based Janet Fukumoto, who heads advertising and marketing firm 1.62 Creative Group, manned the booth on behalf of Patty Brown, master confectioner behind Camarillo-based Dottie’s Sweet Delights, which cooks out of Summit Kitchen, a commercial kitchen in Ventura. At the charity party, Dottie’s offered samples of roasted almond toffee, lavender-infused salted honey caramels and sea-salted honey caramels. “It was a surprisingly beautiful and secluded outdoor venue,” Fukumoto said. “The weather was perfect, and the layout of sampling tables was well-organized.” Also in attendance was Stephen Vasquez, owner and operator of The Alamo Bar and Grill in Newbury Park, which handed out enchilada and tamales; Kyle McQuitty, restaurant manager at Austens, at Ventura’s Pierpont Inn, doled out ceviche and braised beef; and a representative from Pizza Man Dan, which came out of Oxnard and has locations in Ventura, Port Hueneme, Camarillo and Moorpark, brought slices of plain and pepperoni pies. Camarillo’s Mark Beach, who owns Ventura-headquartered alcohol distributor 8th Devil, said it was a pleasure having people sample the line of Vivacity spirits he carries. Also in attendance: Calabasas-based Cheesecake Factory team members, including Sourcing Recruiter Gidget Sorano; and City National Bank Westlake Village Vice President Sim Tang-Paradis and Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager Allen Shiry.
