Harmony Cellars’ winemaker and co-owner Chuck Mulligan has constructed a Christmas tree made entirely of wine barrel staves. The 10-foot tree, twinkling with white lights, is displayed on Harmony Cellars’ hilltop patio. Bows to decorate the tree will be sold to raise money for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Luis Obispo County—a non-profit organization that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the court system.
Bows begin at $5 and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to CASA.
“Christmas has always been a special time for me,” Mulligan said. “I love to decorate my home and the tasting room. While I was building the tree, going overboard as usual, I thought maybe we could use this tree to benefit the children in our community.”
CASA began in Seattle when a judge conceived the idea to use trained community volunteers to speak for the interests of abused and neglected children in the court system. The Seattle program was so successful that judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA, with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. CASA of San Luis Obispo County has been providing advocacy for local children since 1993. There are approximately 100 CASA volunteer advocates actively working on cases in the San Luis Obispo community.
Harmony Cellars’ tasting room is located just off Highway 1 in the town of Harmony. The tasting room is open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Christmas tree will be displayed, and bows can be purchased, until the beginning of January. Pictures of the tree can be found by visiting www.HarmonyCellars.com. 3255 Harmony Valley Road. 805.927.1625.