Napa’s Embassy Suites, Cakebread Winery and the Napa Resource Conservation won top honors at Napa’s Adopt A School annual awards ceremony, said a news release.

The Adopt A School Napa Partnership of the Year awards, celebrating local business and school relationships, were held Nov. 2 at Napa Valley College.

The three Partnership Awards recognize varied levels of participation—Alliance, Project and Future.

Each of the three winners received a $2,000 prize thanks to a donation from the Johnny Miller Champ Foundation. Adopt A School received 17 entries for this year’s awards.

“We are inspired by all the community partnerships in Napa,” said Andy Miller, son of NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller and Napa native. “So many kids are learning in a way that would not be possible without these experiences. It is this type of selfless initiative that The Johnny Miller Champ Foundation strives to promote.”

The Alliance Award, given to the school that illustrates support in multiple areas and curriculum at the school, was accepted by Cheryl Velasquez from Embassy Suites Napa Valley for their partnership with Harvest Middle School.

Thanks to the partnership with Embassy Suites, students at Harvest have a new garden, participate in an exciting salsa making contest, receive special recognition gifts and enjoy an improved music program, said the release.

Embassy Suites employees are equally inspired in their employer’s commitment to the school. The team members are all given an opportunity to play a role in the partnership and make a difference in the lives of students.

The Project Award, given to the school that illustrates a focus on a specific program or area of study, was accepted by Cakebread Winery Chef, Brian Streeter, for his 18-year commitment to the fourth grade class at Mt. George Elementary.

In 1998, Sara Cakebread was inspired to create a program in Napa that connected local chefs with elementary schools. The partnership at Mt. George Elementary has stood the test of time and an ever changing culinary landscape in Napa, said the release. Streeter teaches a cooking class, introduces students to different foods and their local/global origins and helps foster an appreciation for sharing meals with one another.

The Future Award, given to the school that illustrates a partnership that inspires a vision, was accepted by Christy Wolf, a Biofitness teacher at New Tech High School.

Wolf has a vision to bring the real world to her teaching objectives, so while reading about the Syar Quarry expansion in the Napa Register, she was inspired to use the relevant and current topic to make her ecology lessons fun for her students. Her partnership with the Napa Resource Conservation District has expanded to include partners at Napa Parks, Friends of Napa River, California Native Plant Society and Kaiser Permanente, said the release.

Nearly 70 school administrators, teachers, parents, students and business partners joined in the celebration, sponsored by Napa Valley College and Napa Valley Vintners.

“The Adopt A School program encourages schools and businesses to collaborate on creative ways to make learning fun by bringing real world ideas to the classroom,” said Karen Zimolzak, program director of Adopt A School Napa County.

“The stories of success submitted this year are a testament to the dedication of our educators and the willingness of businesses to make a difference in the lives of students.”

Introduced to the community more than a decade ago by the Napa County Office of Education and Napa Valley Vintners, the Adopt A School Napa program seeks to engage, motivate and recognize businesses that partner with local schools to further enhance the educational experience for students and make a positive impact on the Napa Valley community, said the release.