Video: Napa Raises $55K for Sister City in Japan

Hundreds of people thronged to the Sunday afternoon for "," a benefit event for the municipality in Japan that has been Napa's sister city since 1973 and suffered massive destruction in this month's tsunami.

At an afternoon reception in the downstairs Cafe Theatre, local restaurants served gourmet treats and vintners poured tastes of wine as bidders thronged the silent-auction table where donated lots included fine wines, spa experiences and even a seven-string ukulele.

After the food-and-wine reception, there were few empty seats in the second-story Opera House theater, which holds more than 400 people, for a concert performance that included Taiko drumming, speeches, martial arts demonstrations and music from the Vintage High School choir, which had been scheduled for a trip to Japan before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated the island nation.

Marita Dorenbecher of Yountville, who spearheaded the Napa benefit with Opera House marketing director Julie Dalrymple, said the entire effort came together in just two weeks.

All proceeds from the event will go to the city of Iwanuma, according to Dorenbecher, who said she networked with the Napa Valley Vintners' Asian connections to make contact with the municipality.

"We even have their bank account (number)," she said with a smile.

Dalrymple said Sunday night that early tallies of the event's proceeds added up to approximately $55,000: roughly $23,000 from the silent auction, $17,000 in direct donations and $15,000 in ticket sales.

For the concert program, a partial list of silent auction lots and information on how to donate to Iwanuma, please read From Napa to Iwanuma.

For a glimpse of what the event was like, see our video.

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