Community Giving...or NOT

It is few and far between that something can shock the pants off me, but it has happened! In this idyllic, small community of Dixon, it has happened. I may actually have to run down the street minus my pants just so everyone can see how shocked I am...and it would not be pretty, I need to do a lot more squats to be in nake-butt-running shape.

For people that love to run and those that love to support their community, for those that love their community's children and the schools they go to, it seems a no brainier that these people would support, promote, participate and sponsor an event like the Dixon 5K Fun Run. So that is just what the owners at Vivác Winery set out to do! (ahem...that is me, my husband, his brother and his brother's wife).

Seems our money isn't wanted. Seems our massive amount of emails, our loyal fans, our booming running society partners and organizations were not good enough for the Dixon Fun Run. Seems our money, being "directly linked to wine sales", is not good enough to help school programs, give our children needed supplies or deserved field trips. It seems having the taint of the devil's juice on our hands spreads the disease of alcoholism onto the money that passes through our hands and directly to the children. It seems if we give our "dirty money" to the school, we will raise juvenile delinquents. I always wondered where alcoholism came from!

I find it amusing that over the past couple years, our love for running has turned to sponsorships of races ranging from 5K to Marathons and Triathlons of every length, many of which held their award ceremonies on school grounds. We have never been asked to NOT participate, never have our donations been refused, rather we partnered to explode in every way the possibilities of involvement and fund raising opportunities. Never were we stricken from the shirts because we are a winery.

I find it sad in a time where school programs are being cut left and right that a small group within the whole would take it upon themselves to alienate a community business. To alienate the business owners, 2 of which were born and raised in Dixon! Evidently the Dixon Elementary has plenty of revenue, they don't need more, they can be choosy.

It makes me want to fill my water bottle with wine and run the race in nothing but my "Fueled by Vivác" running shirt! And shoes, definitely  want to wear shoes too. Pants will be optional.


-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!