Proceeds

The proceeds of the Stockton Asparagus Festival are shared by over 100 charities that are represented by the Spear-It Staff volunteers. Each charity receives a "donation" based on a schedule of units, or hours, for the work performed by the volunteers. In 2006 the Asparagus Festival was able to distribute $419,893 among the charities involved. In the past 21 years, over $3.6 million dollars has been contributed back to local charities directly from the Stockton Asparagus Festival.

Press Release...

The Stockton Asparagus Festival came of age this year in its 21st year presenting the world-renowned event. And as if in celebration of that milestone, the “Best of the West Food Fest” earned its highest profit and distributed its highest amount ever to nearly 100 local non-profit organizations.

At its annual gathering of volunteers on Wednesday, June 21, this year on the rooftop terrace of the Hotel Stockton, festival organizers unveiled a commemorative check in the astounding amount of $419,893.18. Individual checks were then distributed to the large number of non-profit organizations who volunteered at the Festival, working 27,937 hours and earning an hourly dividend of $15.03. Beneficiaries range from the American Cancer Society to the Women’s Center of San Joaquin, with 96 organizations in between, including Boy & Girl Scout troops, Rotary and Lions service clubs, school groups, and social service agencies.

This year’s distribution surpasses the record-breaking amount of $378,822 given out in 2004, the Festival’s first year in its downtown waterfront location. Since its first year in 1986, when the distribution was $70,790, the Stockton Asparagus Festival has given over 3.6 million dollars to local non-profit organizations.

Festival Board president for 2005-2006, Doug Wilhoit stresses, “It takes an entire team of people working nearly a full year to put this huge event together. We couldn’t do it without volunteers!” Under the leadership of Executive Director Kate Lewis, the Festival Board of Directors, 60 committees, and 5000 volunteers, this huge organization runs efficiently to produce the largest charitable special event in San Joaquin County.

The Festival is held annually during the last full weekend in April, which will be April 27th, 28th and 29th in 2007.