If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the more than 20 years I’ve been involved in the world of wine, it’s that you should never underestimate the power of the wine community when it really cares about something.

My dear friend Keiko Niccolini worked in the California wine industry for a while, with extended stints in sales and brand management at Flowers Winery and Iron Horse, plus some time spent at Palm Bay International. She built a lot of lasting relationships during her time living in California, including with me. For a while, she even lived in my neighborhood in San Francisco. During that time, her daughter Rayas became very close with mine.

Last December, Rayas started having headaches, followed by vomiting, and a trip to the ER turned into two brain surgeries, a sudden neurological collapse requiring emergency full-brain radiation, then full brain and spine radiation, and inpatient chemotherapy.

Rayas was eventually diagnosed with an atypical case of diffuse leptomeningeal ATRT — one of the rarest and most aggressive pediatric Central Nervous System malignancies, with fewer than 70 cases each year and no established standard of care.

Before all this, Rayas was a vibrant, whip-smart, horse-obsessed (actually champion equestrian!) teenager with a dry sense of humor and a huge heart. That spark is still there, even as she fights unimaginable battles every single day.

Keiko, a single mother, hasn’t left Rayas’ side since that first ER trip, and spends all day managing her care, wrangling with insurance agencies, liaising with panels of oncologists and surgeons, and networking with the very few researchers who are studying Rayas’ very rare condition. The bills are piling up, and finances are strained to say the least.

Keiko’s strength through all this is staggering, but no one should have to do something like this alone.

Recognizing that something had to be done, a core group of chefs, sommeliers, and wine professionals got together to build the Auction for Rayas, a silent auction to raise money to support Rayas and Keiko as they navigate this harrowing journey.

The outpouring of support from the wine and food community has been nothing short of astonishing. We have 60 auction lots, and more keep pouring in every day, as new people learn about the fundraiser.

The sheer caliber of these donations is remarkable: Michelin-starred chefs opening their kitchens, winemakers offering verticals straight from their cellars, artists releasing works that have never before been for sale, experiences you simply could not buy under normal circumstances—all given freely, without hesitation, for a girl that some of them have never even met. There are even some quirky-but-valuable things that only horse people would understand (stud fee anyone?).

Every dollar raised goes directly to covering the staggering costs of treatment, travel to specialists, out-of-pocket medical expenses, and the basic day-to-day needs of a household upended by illness. This auction is not a luxury, it’s a lifeline.

Here are just a few of my favorite lots (in case anyone is still doing holiday shopping for me – ha ha), including a stunning lot of 6 pristine wines from Rayas’ namesake Château Rayas, donated by the winery’s importer Martine’s Wines.

QR codes in the lower left will take you directly to that auction lot – click on the images to launch a gallery view.

Those are just some of the fantastic things that you will find as part of this auction.

The wine and food world can feel sprawling and increasingly out of reach in the clouds, but moments like this remind me it’s really a family. One that shows up, fiercely, when one of its own needs help.

None of us can change what Rayas and Keiko have endured. But together, we can make the road ahead a little less impossible, a little less lonely.

For this family, right now, that means everything.

Thanks for listening, and for any support you can lend this effort.

If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: please click through and browse the auction. You may find a gift, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or simply a chance to do something meaningful. And even if you don’t bid, a single share can help us reach someone who will.

Here’s an image you can use if you want to promote the auction on social channels.

Also, if you’re a member of online communities focused on food and wine, such as eGullet, Hungry Onion, or the Wine Spectator forums, those are all great places to post something if you’d like to support this grassroots effort.

The auction runs through December 11th (8:30 PM Pacific).

Every bid, every share, every note to a friend suggesting they check out the auction is helping a single mom stay by her child’s side through a nightmare none of us should ever have to face alone.