The inaugural Cocktails on the Roof fundraiser to benefit the William S. Hart School District Education Foundation (WiSH) attracted 450 guests to party and sample spirits and food on Friday, Sept. 18 on top of the Macy’s Parking Garage at Westfield Valencia Town Center.

Greg Amsler, of Salt Creek Grille, serves up the Valencia restaurant’s signature cocktail, the Christini Martini. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

The Cocktails on the Roof event included signature cocktails paired with food from Santa Clarita Valley restaurants and other spirit purveyors. Guests were able to dance, eat, drink and enjoy comfortable unique lounges as they worked their way down the line up of vendor tents.

Cocktails on the Roof was presented by Westfield Valencia Town Center, and co-hosted by Marlee Lauffer and Eve Bushman.

The WiSH Education Foundation benefits the 23,000 students of the Wm. S. Hart School District.

Amy Daniels, executive director of the WiSH Foundation said money raised by the WiSH Education Foundation assists teachers with items they can’t afford to benefit their classrooms.

“We want our dollars to go to serve the greatest number of students,” she said. “We want to be there to help every teacher.”

Steve Sturgeon, trustee of the William S. Hart School District, said the recent focus of the district has been on updating technology and on arts education.

“This year every junior high school student has their own tablet, at the high school level we’re still 2-to-1,” he said. “Before school started this year we put in 9,000 new computer tablets.”

Eve Bushman and Marlee Lauffer, co-hosts of Cocktails on the Roof. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

Cocktails on the Roof event co-host Eve Bushman said the idea for Cocktails on the Roof came from her observations of the Santa Clarita Valley restaurant scene with the opening of new restaurants and gastropubs.

“There’s a lot of younger people in town with expendable income and I thought we should do something different to attract a new crowd,” she said. “I thought it would be fun to have restaurants offer up their signature cocktails with their signature food. It’s a way to pair cocktails with food.”

Lauffer said Cocktails on the Roof was a “fun idea” to raise money for the William S. Hart School District.

“We’ve done very successful wine events as fundraisers for the WiSH Foundation,” she said. “We are very happy with the number of vendors that are participating and the quality of food and spirits.”

Tickets for the event ran $75 for general admission and $55 for designated drivers.

Martha Aguilera served up empanadas and signature “adult” cupcakes infused with spirits at Cocktails on the Roof. Photo by Michele E. Buttelman.

Participants included: Salt Creek Grille, Newhall Refinery, solita, Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewery, Persia Hookah Lounge, Marstons, Whole Foods Market, 1921 Tequila, Kokolita’s, Oaks Grille TPC, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Lazy Dog, LA Scotch Club, Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, Deep Eddy Vodka, JJ’s Bar and Grill, Ventura Limoncello, Bowen’s Whiskey, Chilled Magazine, 12 Bottle Bar, The Speakeasy Bakery, Bake You Happy, Culinary Wonders, Parashars’ Indian Kitchen, Smokin Bar-Be-Quties, Opolo Vineyards’ Spirits, Sisley Italian Kitchen, Vina Sympatica, Honu Coffee, The Social, Lima Limon, Chocolate Dove Discoveries, Boutique Sake and Olive Terrace Bar and Grill.

Sponsors include Santa Clarita Magazine, Whole Foods Market, California Credit Union, Balfour Beatty Construction, Littler Mendelson, 24/7 Events, Steve Chegwin, CPA, SCVTV, SOS, the Signal, Valley Crest Tree Company, Burrtec and KHTS AM-1220.

For more information about the WiSH Education Foundation visit www.wishscv.org.