On May 22 the Lopez Children’s Center will team up with Lopez Island Vineyards and four local chefs for a food and wine themed fundraiser. Organized by Shaley Lett and Karen Bistrin the event is also intended to showcase four new vintages from the winery.

“We wanted to do this last year,” says Lett, describing the detailed planning going on behind the event.

Lett sees the event not only as a much needed fundraising opportunity for the center, but an occasion for the community to enjoy local gastromic delights. “We have four, local, excellent chefs each cooking a course,” explains Lett.

The first course will be a soup made by the Bay Cafe’s Darrin Holscher, the second will be a sea food timbale by Timothy Maxson, who founded “Taste Catering” in San Francisco, third will be Lopez lamb sausage with white bean ragut by former Bay Cafe chef Kim Bast, and followed by smoked chicked saute with achiote pepper and wild black berry glaze by Steve Atkins. Dessert will be a decadent chocolate, flourless torte made by Glenda Pugerude, a former caterer on the mainland.

The funds are being raised for the general operational costs of the center as well as their scholarship program, “we run a wonderful scholarship program and it never has enough funding,” says Lett.

Both she and Bistrin wish to accent the accute importance of the fundraising. Bistrin notes the ongoing generosity of the Lopez community and says that the center relies on this support in order to provide the services they do. They are, however, equally excited to promote the vineyard.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of people off island, we want to generate a lot of tourist interest in the winery, perhaps people who want to come back and help at harvest time,” says Lett, adding that they might run another similar even at harvest time.

The event will be held at the Lopez Community Center at 6 p.m. Tickets are $75 and avaiable from Paper Scissors on the Rock, by credit card online at www.lopezcenter.com or by calling Lopez Children’s Center at 468-3896.