Manhattan Beach Wine Auction on June 8th, 2024- Preview, Auction & Post Coverage/Photos
Manhattan Beach, CA, June 12, 2024 – The Manhattan Beach Education Foundation raises nearly
$1.4 million at the 30 th Annual Manhattan Wine Auction
On Saturday, June 8th, the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation hosted the 30 th Annual
Manhattan Wine Auction, one of the South Bay’s most celebrated fundraisers. The sold-out event
with over 2,200 guests raised nearly $1.4 million net for the Manhattan Beach public schools.
The Manhattan Country Club, serving as host for the past 30 years, was entirely transformed with
restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries circling the perimeter of the club. Guests marveled at
the abundant and exceptional offerings from participants like Love & Salt, The Arthur J, The Strand
House, My Favorite Neighbor, The Landing Wines, and Gray Whale Gin. The exclusive Reserve Room
hosted 500 guests and featured tastings of rare wines from wineries such as Memento Mori,
Vineyard 7 & 8, spirits from Tequila Mandala, along with food from Boa Steakhouse and Jemma by
Jackson Kalb. Center Court was the heart of the action as the live band kept the guests dancing until
the lights went out.
MBEF Executive Director, Hilary Mahan, shared, “The longstanding 30-year tradition of the
Manhattan Wine Auction holds a special place in the hearts of our community members. The
outpouring of support from the entire community is unmistakable year after year, but this year was
particularly special. We are so fortunate to live in a community that values high quality education. It
was evident in the stellar number of volunteers, guests, auction items, restaurants and wineries.
Everyone stepped it up to celebrate the 30 th anniversary!”
The first Wine Auction was held in 1995 at the Manhattan Country Club and included 10 restaurants,
15 wineries, and 21 live lots. This year the event featured 50 restaurants, 80 wineries, breweries, and
distilleries, 23 live lots and over 400 silent auction items. While the Manhattan Wine Auction has
grown significantly over the past 30 years, its purpose has remained the same – to raise funds to
ensure that Manhattan Beach public schools offer programs that enrich and empower students on
their academic journey and well into their future.
Local businesses also served as major sponsors of the Wine Auction – from the founding sponsor,
Chevron, to Estate Sponsors Desolation Hotel, Skechers, Withycombe Family, and Yoffe Cooper, to
many other generous Vista sponsors, including Akin, JP Morgan, and Kirkland & Ellis. As always, The
Bay Club continued to be a key partner as the inaugural host and provided significant support to
ensure the continued success of the Manhattan Wine Auction.
The Silent and Live Auctions raised a combined $650,000 plus, and featured a wide array of
packages, including vacation getaways, sports and entertainment items, beauty and health offerings,jewelry, art, culinary experiences, and one-of-a-kind opportunities. The auction also included over
750 bottles of wine donated by members of the community and wineries from throughout California
and beyond.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of MBEF’s 2024 Legacy Award to John Oshiro.
Introduced in 2020, the Legacy Award honors individuals, families and businesses who have
demonstrated a truly exceptional commitment to the mission of MBEF. John has led by example
serving in various capacities as an MBEF Board Member, a member of the Wine Advisory Board, and
three-time Wine Auction Chair. In addition to generously giving of his time and talents, he and his
wife Jeanne have donated over 850 bottles of wine to the Manhattan Wine Auction over the past 25
years. “My direct involvement with MBEF and the auction ended in 2009 when my one and only
daughter graduated from Costa in 2008. But I continue to donate to the auction and support MBEF.
Along that way, I have learned a lot about wines, music and athletic programs, and school funding.
But I have also made life-long friends with students, parents, teachers, school boards, and City
Council members. I don’t know how much time, money, or wine I have given, but I know I have
received even more back in sharing once in a lifetime experiences and a fine glass of wine with the
best folks in Manhattan Beach,” shared Oshiro.
Funds raised from the Wine Auction support the MBEF Endowment, which enables an annual
disbursement to fund grants in our schools each year. In addition, the Paddle Raise adds a significant
funding element directed to current programming. This year’s effort was dedicated to restoring
educator positions eliminated by the recent state budget cuts. MBUSD Board Members and
employees, MBEF Board Members, parents, and alumni raised their paddles and donated on their
phones to support the Paddle Raise. Every dollar raised will be directed to bringing educators who
inspire students back to the classroom for the 2024-2025 school year. Jake Dax, serving as the Event
Chair for the second year, was heartened by the outpouring of support. “MBEF was founded to
promote academic excellence in our public schools, which remains our singular focus. We are
fortunate to have so many people in our community who share our vision, and who support our
organization in so many ways.”
“Donors don’t give to institutions; they invest in ideas and people,” shared Mahan, “and there is no
better example than the Manhattan Wine Auction. We are investing in public education, our
children’s future and building community at the same time. I am overwhelmed each year by the
excitement the Wine Auction brings – from the volunteers, to the restaurants, wineries and other
beverage partners, to the donors and the guests who set their alarms on May 1 st to buy tickets –
these are the people that make the Manhattan Wine Auction the iconic fundraising event that it is!”
Over its 40-year history, MBEF has donated over $100 million to the Manhattan Beach Unified
School District and helped to transform MBUSD into one of the finest districts in the state.
ABOUT THE MANHATTAN BEACH EDUCATION FOUNDATION (MBEF)
The Manhattan Beach Education Foundation is a community driven fundraising organization, which
supplements state funding for programs that inspire learning, enrich teaching, and promoteinnovation and academic excellence in the public schools of Manhattan Beach. MBEF funds
programs that engage students in learning, spark their creativity, and helps them discover their
passions. In the 2023/24 school year, MBEF funded over $6.1 million to MBUSD.
All proceeds from the Manhattan Wine Auction benefit the MBEF Endowment Fund, which provides
MBEF with a continuing and sustainable funding source, helping to make up for the instability of
public school funding at the state level. The annual contribution to MBEF’s programs in the 2023-24
school year will exceed $1.1 million, accounting for 19% of MBEF’s overall grant to the district.
For more information about MBEF, click here, or visit: https://mbef.org/
For more information about the MBEF Endowment, click here, or visit:
For more information about the Manhattan Wine Auction, click here, or visit:
For more information about MBEF’s 40 th Anniversary and the Seeds of Knowledge Project, click
here, or visit: https://mbef.org/our-supporters/seeds-of-knowledge-community-recognition-project/
Photo Credit MBEF & Endowment