Connie Battisti was positively glowing as she mixed and mingled with colleagues and guests at Friday's Napa Valley Vintners awards ceremony.

Beaming, she asked an associate, "Can you believe this? Will someone please pinch me?" Battisti had a million reasons to be thankful. On Friday the Napa Valley Vintners presented Battisti, director of Napa County's Children's Health Initiative, a landmark $1 million grant to back her nascent effort to ensure all Napa County children have health care coverage.

NVV hosted an early Thanksgiving feast by doling out $8.7 million worth of distributions to a laundry list of local nonprofit groups. CHI's Battisti was the first of many thankful groups to receive grants during the ceremony at Cole's Chop House.

NVV President Joel Aiken, winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards, began the press conference by unveiling the unprecedented award the press. Announcing, "There is no million dollar question, only a million dollar answer," Aiken revealed a banner proclaiming the six-figure commitment "to the health of our children."

Asked to describe her reaction to the award, Battisti said, "There aren't words. It's just overwhelming."

CHI is an organization dedicated to enrolling low- to middle-income children in various state or other insurance programs. The NVV grant was said to be the largest donation from an industry to a children's health group and an "unprecedented undertaking toward the long-term health of not just children but the community as a whole," said Napa County Health and Human Services Agency director Randy Snowden. "It's dramatic, innovative, big picture intervention on a health care crisis faced by every community in the country."

Battisti wasn't the only one celebrating. CHI vice president and county supervisor Bill Dodd gave kudos to the vintners organization. "This grant guarantee's CHI's success in Napa," Dodd said.

Vintners Executive Director Linda Reiff explained the million-dollar decision. "We wanted to do something dramatic in light of the 25th anniversary of Auction Napa Valley, and the largest amount of money we ever raised. We thought the million dollar fund for CHI was a wonderful way to give back to the community which has helped the industry and the auction be successful," she said.

Reiff explained that the donation ensures the program will be fully-funded for three years. By enrolling children in available insurance programs, the CHI effort is expected to bring $1.8 million of state and federal funds to the county.

NVV awarded another $7.7 million in grants to 45 other programs: $3,604,500 to health programs; $1,548,000 to the Napa Valley Wine Auction Health Care Fund; $1,316,000 to youth development programs; $736,000 to affordable housing programs; and $565,000 to special projects.

Recipients that received awards of $200,000 or more included Clinic Ole, Queen of the Valley Hospital, St. Helena Hospital, Aldea, Calistoga Affordable Housing, Napa Valley Community Housing, Sister Ann Community Dental Clinic and Healthy Moms & Babies.

NVV also honored Robert Mondavi for his "tireless efforts supporting the well-being of the people of Napa Valley" by a donation of $350,000 in his name to Community Health Clinic Ole, said a press release.

The nonprofit Napa Valley Vintners represents over 270 wineries. Since 1981, their Auction Napa Valley fundraiser has raised more than $60 million for local charities.