Pacific Northwest
Wine Competition
Beneficiaries
Since our inception, the Whatcom Beer and Wine Foundation has contributed over $125,000 to its designated beneficiaries. We're pleased to announce that net proceeds from our 2026 and 2027 fundraising events will be distributed to the following organizations:
Hope Heals (hopehealsyou.com) provides support to families in need, with an overall goal of spreading hope, love, and kindness to everyone, everywhere. Their primary service is to provide move-in care packages to those who were homeless and have just gotten housing for the first time. This includes the basic essentials they need to live, clean, cook, and sleep. Hope Heals also provides bags and backpacks with toiletries and clothes for people who are currently homeless. Future goals include an all-in-one facility offering a day center, donation processing center, and warehouse. The day center would have lockers, showers, a cafeteria, basic needs rooms, and a resource center for the homeless.
The Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless was formed in July 2015 as a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and resolving the unmet needs of the homeless population of Walla Walla. Their mission is to provide the homeless with access to safe shelter, basic necessities, and the resources needed to transition to stable housing and self-reliance. This includes finding job opportunities, skills training, and offering resources to be ready for an interview. Their shelter community is the only ‘barrier free’ shelter in the area, accepting couples and service animals.
WWCC Institute for Enology & Viticulture
The Institute for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College provides students with hands-on experience in winemaking, viticulture practices, and wine marketing and sales. To this end, the Institute has developed several acres of teaching vineyards where students actively participate in vineyard management and the growing of quality wine grapes used to support the teaching winery. In addition to the teaching vineyard, the Institute has created a state-of-the-art teaching winery at College Cellars, where students are responsible for winemaking and wine chemistry.
In addition, the Whatcom Beer and Wine Foundation has made recent contributions to the following organizations: Blue Skies for Children, Pocket Neighborhood Foundation of Walla Walla, Alliance of Women Winemakers, Blue Mountain Community Foundation, Friends of Children, Valley Residential Services, Refugee Woman's Alliance, The American Cancer Society, SOS Health Services of Walla Walla, Alzheimer's Association - Team Joy, and BMAC - Food Bank. The Foundation concluded a successful four-year fundraising partnership with The Hero Initiative in 2024. Click here to view a complete list of donations we've made since our inception.