PLACERVILLE, Calif. — An evening of fine dining, music and philanthropy at Saureel Vineyards produced a tangible investment in local youth when Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra raised $60,000 during its 2026 BIG Gala.
The Aug. 8 fundraiser brought community leaders, business supporters, sponsors and dignitaries together at the Placerville vineyard for an evening built around the theme “Investments That Fuel the Future.”
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The message was straightforward: Money invested in mentoring today can create opportunities for young people long after the gala ends.
The event was listed by the El Dorado Community Foundation as a community fundraiser at Saureel Vineyards, 1140 Cold Springs Road in Placerville. Event information described the gala as supporting mentoring programs serving youth in El Dorado, Nevada and eastern Placer counties.
Guests were treated to dinner, fellowship, live and silent auctions and music from a string quartet from the Folsom Lake Symphony. The evening also provided an opportunity for members of the region’s business and civic communities to gather around a shared investment in young people.
For Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, the $60,000 raised represents more than a successful fundraiser. The organization said the money will help recruit, screen, train and support volunteer mentors while creating and sustaining professionally supported mentoring relationships for local youth.
Recognizing community leadership
A highlight of the evening was recognition of El Dorado Disposal, Waste Connections and the companies’ employees for their service to the communities where they operate.
Special recognition also went to Ron Mittelstaedt, founder and CEO of Waste Connections, for his leadership and philanthropic contributions.
The recognition reflected another central theme of the evening: Community investment does not end with writing a check. Businesses, volunteers and individual donors can help create the infrastructure needed to connect young people with adults who can provide guidance, encouragement and consistent support.
Florence Parks, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, said the gala demonstrated the breadth of that community commitment.
“Your support strengthens the mentoring relationships that invest deeply in our youth and help them grow, thrive, and see what’s possible for their future.”
Parks credited sponsors, donors, volunteers and guests for making the event possible, saying the evening reflected a community united by its belief in the potential of every young person.
El Dorado County businesses among major supporters
The event drew significant sponsorship support from businesses, tribal organizations and community groups.
The organization’s annual Defenders of Potential supporters included the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, El Dorado Disposal, Toogood Estate Winery, Doug Veerkamp General Engineering Inc. and Marshall Medical Center.
Gold-level sponsors, providing $5,000 sponsorships, included Rehrig Pacific Company, United Auburn Indian Community and Encanto Cocina & Tequila Bar.
Bronze sponsors, providing $1,500 sponsorships, included El Dorado Savings Bank, Minuteman Press, Peek Family Fund and Windfall Magazine.
Bar sponsors included Boring Rose Brewing Co., Ajani Jackson, Kevin and Lauren Rapport, Arata Equipment Company and Liz and Bruce Drummond.
Auction and event donors included Adrian Blanco Jewelry, Ambiance, Bradford Portraits, Camino Extraordinary Hotel, Cedar & Twine, Chicago Fire Pizza, Coloma Resort, Community Access TV, Diane Wilkinson Catering, Folsom Lake Bowl, Moss & Vine, National Charity League chapters in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, Placerville Kiwanis, Reggie Liddle, re, the Sacramento Kings, Troublemakers Beer Garden and Wally’s, among others.
Mentorship remains the central investment
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra has long centered its work on professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships. The organization has described its model as pairing young people with caring adult mentors while providing professional oversight and support for those relationships.
The organization’s regional reach extends beyond El Dorado County to Nevada County and eastern Placer County. Its headquarters is in Cameron Park, giving the nonprofit a particularly strong connection to communities throughout the El Dorado County foothills.
That local footprint makes fundraising events such as the BIG Gala important to the organization’s ability to maintain and expand mentoring services.
The gala’s $60,000 total also comes as BBBSNS continues a broader fundraising effort to sustain programs for local children. In a 2025 announcement, the organization said its fundraising events directly support mentoring programs serving more than 200 children each year.
Looking ahead
Community members interested in supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, volunteering as mentors or attending future fundraising events can find information through the organization’s website and events listings. The 2026 BIG Gala was promoted as an opportunity to support mentoring across three Northern California counties, with tickets, sponsorships and auction participation directed toward the organization’s youth programs.
The organization has also announced its 2027 Crackin’ Crab for Kids, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, featuring Love Somebody Band.
For El Dorado County, the message from the BIG Gala was ultimately less about one night at a vineyard than about what happens after the music stops.
The $60,000 raised will help put resources behind relationships between young people and adult mentors — an investment BBBSNS says can help local youth grow, thrive and see possibilities for their futures.
More information: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra
