Phil Castle, The Business Times

Stephanie Plieness relishes the role the Junior Service League of Grand Junction plays in supporting nonprofits in Mesa County.

It’s not just the amount of contributions the service organization awards each year, but what those contributions mean, Plieness said. “We’re touching individual lives. It’s not just a number.”

That’s why Plieness said she’s looking forward to the upcoming Viva el Vino, an annual fund-raiser the Junior Service League organizes.

Viva el Vino will feature wine, beer, cocktails and food as well as live music and a silent auction. Plieness, chairwoman of the 2024 Viva el Vino, said the event also will feature brief presentations by the nonprofits that have benefited from grants from the Junior Service League.

Viva el Vino is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m.  April 27 at the Wine Country Inn, located at 777 Grande River Drive in Palisade. Tickets sell for $100 and are available for purchase online from the website at https://jslgj.com/viva-el-vino.

In addition to a variety of wines, the event will feature cocktails and a beer garden with beers from the Palisade Brewing Co., Plieness said. Stray Grass, an acoustic Americana band from Grand Junction, will perform.

Viva el Vino also will include a silent auction. In addition to those attending the event, others can participate in the auction on a virtual basis through the Junior Service League website.

Plieness expects more than 200 people to attend the signature fund-raiser for the Junior Service League and raise as much money as possible for the nonprofits the organization supports that in turn provide services to women, children and families.

In December, the Junior Service League awarded a total of $30,000 in grants to 11 nonprofits. Since its inception in 1983, the Junior Service League has awarded more than $1.1 million in grants and provided more than 750,000 hours of community service.

Those efforts are important, Plieness said. “The need is there, and it continues to grow.”