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27th annual Alamo Music & Wine Festival
Alamo Plaza 2-11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12 Join in the block party

Alamo Music & Wine Festival

Schedule of Events

2-2:30 p.m. San Ramon Valley High School Band

2:30-3 p.m. Monte Vista High School Band

3-3:30 San Ramon Valley High Jazz Band

4-7 p.m. Zydeco Flames

4:45-5:10 p.m. Stone Valley Middle School Jazz Band

6-6:20 p.m. Alamo Elementary School Choir

7:15-7:45 p.m. Rotary Citizen of the Year and Drawing

8-11 p.m. Fabulous Cruise Tones

Fun features for kids

* Food, games, business booths

* Play zone by Mt. Diablo Regional YMCA and Alamo Improvement Association

* Rock climbing wall

27th annual Alamo Music & Wine Festival

The Alamo Music & Wine Festival is an annual community celebration benefiting, in part, the school music programs while providing a variety of activities for the entire family. The Alamo Rotary event, being held for the 27th year, will take place from 2-11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, at Alamo Plaza.

Headlining this year's festival will be the Cruise Tones, so well received last year, who will feature music for dancing under the stars beginning at 8 p.m. This popular Bay Area band plays a wide variety of songs from the late 1950s to the hits of today. Zydeco Flames, the West Coast's premier Zydeco band, will play from 4-7 p.m.

The afternoon will be a chance to see what Alamo children are learning in their music classes, with school music group performances beginning at 2 p.m. The San Ramon High School band and the Monte Vista High School band will play as well as the jazz band from Monte Vista and Stone Valley Middle School.

The day will feature activities for the entire family. Food, games and business booths will be set up throughout the festival area. Kids can enjoy the play zone set up by the Mt. Diablo Regional YMCA and the Alamo Improvement Association. The newest feature, the Rock Climbing Wall, is returning again.

Dinner tickets cost $18 and feature a selection from Forli's, Faz, Don Jose's, the Peasant's Courtyard or the Alamo Rotary BBQ Booth. To help keep the costs down for families, there will be inexpensive hot dogs and chips for the kids.

In addition, the festival will feature wines from a number of California vineyards. People may purchase commemorative wine glasses at the event. Special Music Festival polo shirts as well as hats and sweatshirts will also be available for sale.

In the evening, Rotary will present its annual Citizen of the Year Award. This individual is selected among many local nominees who epitomize active involvement in community affairs and projects.

The festival is billed as an Alamo Block Party, a chance for residents to meet and greet their friends and neighbors and spend a few fun hours together. But it is first and foremost a fundraising event with the proceeds donated to fund music education at Alamo Elementary, Rancho Romero Elementary, Stone Valley Middle School, Monte Vista High School, San Ramon Valley High School and Lucille Mauzy School.

"We raised more than $12,000 during last year's festival," said sponsor chairman Don Morton. "Much of the money came from very generous sponsors."

The festival also features a drawing with tickets sold throughout the day for prizes including the following:

* Piaggio 150 cc scooter

* Five nights/six days on Oahu north shore

* Bay cruise for four during Fleet Week

* Diamondback Peak mountain bike

* Two nights at the Peppermill Inn in Reno

Tickets for the drawing will be available for purchase throughout the course of the day.

This year's principal festival sponsors were Jean and James Taylor Foundation- Diamond Level Sponsor; John Muir - Gold Level; Tidewater- Gold Level; Bach Group Morgan Stanley - Silver Level; Skylar Haley Innovative Food & Beverage Products - Silver Level; and RINA - Copper Level.

Additional sponsors and donors were East Bay BMW; Morgan Bonanno Paving & Grading; Stone Valley Center; Oak Tree Plaza; Alamo Improvement Association; Alamo Chamber of Commerce; and Empire Realty.

Sponsorship levels begin at $100 and go up to $15,000. For more information, call or e-mail Don Morton at 217-3123, dmorton12@yahoo.com. CharStyle:endbullet>n

Who will be named 2009 Citizen of the Year?

A highlight of the Music & Wine Festival every year is when the Alamo Rotary Club announces the name of the new Citizen of the Year. The nominees for 2009 to become the 25th Alamo person to be so honored were people who have demonstrated a unique commitment to the Alamo community and the community at large.

Past recipients have been:

2008: Alisa Corstorphine

2007: Chris Suter

2006: Don Morton

2005: Mike Gibson

2004: Greg Schuyler

2003: Rick James

2002: Claudia Waldron

2001: Diane Barley

2000: John Henderson

1999: Richard Delfosse

1998: Karen McPherson

1997: Joan Benbow

1996: Russ Hagerstrand

1995: Bruce Marhenke

1994: Mark Kahn

1993: Virgie Jones

1992: Claudia Mauzy Nemir

1991: Wanda Lognecker

1990: Bob Myhre

1989: Joan Buchanan

1988: Andrew Young

1987: Brian Thiessen

1986: "Dr. Don" Rose

1985: Dr. Russ Miller

How Alamo Rotary supports education

* 100 percent of the Alamo Wine and Music Festival BBQ proceeds go directly to six local schools for music, fine arts and drama programs. This year each school received $1,000.

* Sponsorship of the Monte Vista Interact Club and Stone Valley Middle School's YouthAct Club.

* Beth Randall, an Alamo Rotarian, acts as club advisor at Monte Vista; Gaby Ghorbani is the advisor at Stone Valley.

* Alamo Rotary makes an annual donation to support Interact activities.

* Student members participate in Rotary activities, at club meetings, the Music Festival and more.

* Outstanding Educator and Student Awards Luncheon. Each May students and educators from six local schools are honored at a luncheon where they receive a plaque and thank you for their continued support and contribution to the community.

* Dictionary Project. Each year the Alamo Rotary Club distributes a dictionary to each third-grader at Alamo Elementary and at Rancho Romero Elementary schools. The approximated cost is $2,000.

* Library Book Project. Each year $700 is donated to either Alamo Elementary, Rancho Romero Elementary or Stone Valley Middle School to purchase library books. The school library staffs select books based upon grade level curriculums.

* Monte Vista scholarships. Each year scholarships are given to graduating seniors.

* Student leadership opportunities. Each year Alamo Rotary funds the cost of two students to attend the Camp Royal Student Leadership Conference. Approximate cost is $1,500. In addition Alamo Rotary pays about $500 for Student Leadership Conferences for MVHS Interact students during the school year.

* Alamo Rotary provides opportunities for local students to receive recognition through performing at the Music & Wine Festival, at luncheon meetings and as requested by school staff and/or administration.