By Lookout Staff

April 17, 2024 -- Education supporters will gather under the Fairmont Miramar's iconic fig tree Sunday to help raise money for local schools during the Education Foundation's 9th annual Wine Auction.

The auction -- with early access starting at 4 p.m. and general admission at 5 p.m. -- features 30 wineries and local restaurants and a silent and live auction, organizers said.

The event once again "brings parents and community members together to sip, savor and support students" at Santa Monica's 11 public schools, Ed Foundation officials said.

The money raised helps fund arts programs, elementary classroom aides and STEM programs, "as well as important social-emotional programs, like mindfulness."

An online Silent Auction began April 12 and will continue until Monday at 10 p.m., with new items added daily.

The auction offers everything from fine wines and a cargo E-bike lease to a soulful tarot card reading and a two-night stay at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar.

In 2022, the annual event raised a record $400,000 for local schools when it returned to the Miramar for its first in-person auction in three years

The auction boosted the combined total raised to $1.75 million, Foundation officials said.