Rotary’s annual Wine Tasting and Art Auction, held Friday, Feb. 27, saw more than 200 people pass through the doors at the Prestige Inn to take in the event.

“Everyone was smiling, there was lots of food and of course wine to be had, and I think the general consensus was that it was a great time,” said Rotary Club member Doug Vanhooren, one of the event’s organizers along with Carrie Schafer and Bernie Kennedy.

Artists donated dozens of works for “Live Wine, Live Art 2010.” These included the three People’s Choice Awards winners from last Wednesday’s “Wild About the Arts” student gala at Mount Baker Secondary School.

“We had 30 pieces of art in the live auction, and another 30 in the silent auction,” Vanhooren said. “We had additional silent auction merchandise pieces donated by local businesses, and another 20 ‘bucket raffle’ prizes that were also donated by local businesses.”

Not to forget in the liquid portion of the evening — the wine tasting is always a key draw, and is becoming an anticipated showcase for wineries and wine lovers alike.

“We had three B.C. wineries that personally represented their product this year, and a couple other tables from other countries. We also had a premium wine offering in a secondary section of the venue — $45 and $50 bottles of wine for people who don’t usually get a chance to try that kind of level of product.”

Funds raised from “Live Art Live Wine 2010” are earmarked for Rotary’s Community Arts Fund, geared at furthering arts and culture in the community, with an especial focus on youth and youth programs.

“We down a little bit from previous years, with the economic situation, and people were focused on Haiti and some other causes as well, so it detracted a little bit,” VanHooren said of the funds raised Friday night. “But definitely it was worth doing, and we’re going to be able to put a lot back into the community.”

Last week’s “Wild About the Arts” raised funds for a youth arts and cultural centre, to be part of the proposed Neighbourhood of Learning designed to replace the old high school. Rotary is also committed to that vision.

“Once the province and school district decide how that’s all going to play out, we’re going to throw our weight behind that as well,” Vanhooren said.