Sampling With The Sharks 2025 Presented by Marsh McLennan Agency

On February 2 the Sharks Foundation hosted its annual wine tasting fundraiser, Sampling with the Sharks presented by Marsh McLennan Agency. Taking place at the historic Hayes Mansion, nearly 400 guests attended, including the Sharks roster, coaches, alumni, broadcasters and management.

The event kicked off with 13 Napa and Sonoma County wineries serving 30 premium varietals for guests to sample during the mix-and-mingling portion of the event. Located on two floors of the venue, guests roamed freely from table to table, tasting each of the premium wines our partnering wineries served using their keepsake wine glass. Wineries in attendance were Duckhorn, Far Niente, Grassi, Heikell, Joseph George Wines, La Pelle, Miner Family, Paul Hobbs, Robert Foley, Schramsberg, Schweiger, Silver Oak, and Vineyard 29.

Pre-dinner festivities were lively as guests conversed with the Sharks roster and enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres. Returning this year was the carnival style fan-favorite wine bottle ring toss, where guests could try their luck at ringing a bottle of wine. Next to the ring toss was the silent auction, where guests could preview the collection of items. Among the collection were signed memorabilia, players’ favorite things baskets, and exclusive wine tasting experiences with participating wineries.

At the conclusion of the mix-and-mingle, the ballroom began to fill, and a pre-dinner presentation displayed highlights of the Sharks Foundation’s 30 years of community impact. Before dinner, Executive Director of the Sharks Foundation and Head of Community Impact, Kevin Brown, provided opening remarks, thanking guests for their unwavering support.

At the conclusion of dinner, the live auction was emceed by play-by-play announcer for Sharks Radio Network and Hockey Hall of Fame honoree, Dan Rusanowsky, and Sharks play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports California, Randy Hahn. The energy in the room was electric as fans excitedly outbid each other for the packages offered. Experiences included an exclusive dinner with Mike Grier at Center Ice inside SAP Center, Pickleball Doubles with Henry Thrun, Escape to Alcatraz with Mario Ferraro, and attending a Golden State Warriors game with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. The most highly anticipated offering of the night was an exclusive road trip with the team during the 2025-26 season.

One of the most impactful portions of the night was the Fins Up for the Foundation moment, where guests were invited to raise their bidder paddles at varying donation levels, ranging from $5,000 to $100.

Sampling with the Sharks was a smashing success, raising more than $400,000 for the Sharks Foundation. These resources will support the Sharks Foundation’s Community Assist Grant Cycle program through contributions to high-performing local non-profit organizations. A sincere thank you to presenting sponsor Marsh McLennan Agency, supporting partner SAP, and Dinner Sponsors Alice Robertson and Andy and Heather Steingruebl for their support of the event. Additionally, the Sharks Foundation shares its gratitude to VIP Table Sponsors Aramark, Casino M8trix, Devcon Construction, Inc., Fantastic Experience LLC, Hoge Fenton, IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39, Santa Clara University, and Strategy Law, LLP as well as Event Partners Joseph George Wines, Hayes Mansion, Almaden, and Sound in Motion.