Officials at the Santa Clarita Valley Child & Family Center have decided to cancel the nonprofit’s 2020 “Taste of the Town” fundraiser.

CFC CEO Joan Aschoff, Psy.D. and Board Chair Cheri Fleming sent the following note to sponsors and supporters:

Dear Child & Family Center Supporters,

We are sad to let you know that we have reached a decision to cancel our Taste of the Town event for 2020.

We were hoping that postponing the date until June would work out, but as time goes by it is clear that it likely will be impossible for that to happen. Many of our exhibitors are struggling to survive financially and large scale gatherings will likely not be permitted by that time.

For 32 years our community has supported this annual food and wine festival. The first Sunday of May we have gathered to sample great food, wine, beer and dance to awesome entertainment. It saddens us to know that we won’t be doing so this year.

The funds raised at the event are so vital to the services we provide to 900 children, adolescents, adults and their families each month. Some suffer from anxiety or depression. Some are fighting addiction to drugs or alcohol. Some have faced trauma from domestic violence. Many are victims of child abuse and neglect.

Taste of the Town also provided the funds for our Crisis Team to respond immediately to the tragedy at Saugus High School late last year, helping those directly impacted and providing ongoing trauma support in the weeks following the event.

Now so many in our community are suffering both emotionally and financially. Many have lost their jobs and are struggling to pay the rent. In lieu of purchasing a ticket for this year’s event, perhaps you would like to make a donation to help support our programs. If you would like to help, please visit www.childfamilycenter.org. With your generous support, we can continue to respond to our community’s needs.

Please continue to support our participating restaurants, beer and wine purveyors, for without them we would never be able to have a Taste of the Town. We look forward to seeing all of you next year on May 2, 2021.

Stay Healthy. Stay Safe.