aCCess 707 partnership initiative

Mission in action 7 7

vintners making a mark on eduCation

Celebrating its fifth year, aCCess 707 is a way for our community to fund much needed tuition assistance while showcasing the deep connection to and partnership with Justinsiena wine families all over the valley.

A fortuitous email this past spring from a Justin-Siena alumna, Erica Alfaro-López ’06, to Mrs. Michele Farver, current Advancement and Communications Associate (previously the Student Support Program Coordinator), expanded the ACCESS 707 reach into a year-round fundraising campaign directly supporting the Lasallian Education ACCESS Program (LEAP). Erica, Executive Assistant to Cyril Chappellet, son of Donn Chappellet, and current Chairman of Chappellet Winery’s Board of Directors, approached her employer with a special request: to find a way to financially support LEAP at Justin-Siena. For Cyril and Chappellet, it was a win-win idea. Wine lovers who may be unaware of the Chappellet brand would be introduced to fantastic wines at an insider price all while supporting a special cause. For Erica, this was personal. Once a student at Justin-Siena, she and her brother, Ismael ’04, would have never had the opportunity for a private, Catholic education had Justin-Siena not provided the funding for them to attend (her amazing story follows on page 43). Out of that conversation with Cyril and with the support of Chappellet’s Managing Director David Francke (father of Elizabeth ’09, Sarah ’11, and Michael ’16), a partnership was born. Though the shape of this collaboration is new, the commitment of the wine industry to support access to a quality, Catholic education is not. As JustinSiena President, David Holquin shared, “I have seen Chappellet’s generosity through ACCESS 707 and Crab Fest, but this takes it to a whole new level. Our winery partners’ devotion to our mission speaks volumes.” Since the first sale in May, Justin-Siena has raised over $25,000 for LEAP from partner sales with

Boeschen Vineyards, Buoncristiani Family Winery, Chappellet Winery, and Highway 12 Winery. In response to the Glass Fire, half of the proceeds from the recent Highway 12 wine sale were donated to the Justin-Siena Disaster Relief Fund. For Buoncristiani Family Winery’s Matt Buoncristiani ’94, the commitment to Justin-Siena runs deep. Matt commented, “As an alumnus of Justin-Siena, and parent of a current freshman, I am proud to support LEAP through our participation in the new ACCESS 707 Winery Partnership Initiative. This program is vital to families in need of tuition assistance, and we recognize the valuable opportunity it gives students to experience a Lasallian Catholic education. Go Braves!” Now, thanks to the wineries that say “yes” to this partnership with us on behalf of our Lasallian Education Access Program, and to the hundreds of wine lovers supporting each sale, this presence will be felt by even more students and families across Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties.

the outpouring of support from this community for Leap scholars is a true testament to our ALLHeart identity and our core Lasallian beliefs and values. the founding story of our Lasallian mission is one of answering a call to serve and to lead and to be the presence of god to one another. as Brother kevin stated:

The De La Salle Christian Brothers have a storied history in the Napa Valley as pioneering wine makers for the sake of education. For more than five decades

Justin-Siena has played a vital role in shaping the Valley by providing a college preparatory education that prepares young people to serve and to lead in an ever-changing world.

Generations of wine industry professionals from grape growers to tasting room proprietors from Napa, Sonoma, and beyond make up the fabric of Justin-Siena. Our foundational commitment is to ensure that a quality education is accessible to all students and that’s why I believe so strongly in our winery partnership initiative. the aCCess 707 Winery partnership initiative collaborates with a local winery, often owned by Justin-siena alumni or current families, to offer significant wine discounts, not available anywhere else. Justin-siena receives a generous donation to the Leap as part of the partnership.

interested in partnering with Justin-siena to support this important and transformational initiative? Contact Brother kevin slate at klslate@justin-siena.org to learn more.

“take even more care of the education of the young people entrusted to you than if they were the children of a king.”