In Four Hours Charity Wine Festival Raises More Than $8 Million for Children
| Source: Naples Winter Wine Festival
NAPLES, FL--(Marketwire - January 30, 2010) - Gavel to gavel, in only four hours, bidders at
The Naples Winter Wine
Festival charity auction raised more than $8 million for
underprivileged and at-risk children. Five hundred patrons were seated
under a giant tent set on the grand lawn of The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in
Naples for the live auction, with winning bids ranging from $22,000 to
$440,000 for 61 one-of-a-kind lots.
Since 2001, the festival has raised $82.5 million for children in Collier
County, Fla. Festival proceeds have expanded the horizons of nearly 100,000
children through grants to children's charities and collaborative funding
of major new initiatives, including primary medical and dental care clinics
and an early learning center. The festival has been ranked the most
successful charity wine auction in the nation for the past six years by
Wine Spectator.
"Everyone came through for the kids," said The Honorable Francis Rooney,
2010 festival chair with his wife, Kathleen, trustees of the Naples Children and Education
Foundation, the festival's founding organization. "Top chefs and
vintners flew in from around the world to make this a very special 10th
anniversary festival. Sponsors and patrons dug deep into their wallets to
raise money for children who need a helping hand in order to lead healthy,
productive lives and fulfill their dreams. We are so appreciative of
everyone's support."
Kathleen added, "Children's need for services continues to rise in this
difficult economy, and generous festival patrons helped fill that need."
The top money-raising auction lot was a one-week Mediterranean voyage for
six couples aboard Dream, a 170-foot Feadship yacht auctioned for $440,000.
Among the top wine lots were a 2003 Chateau Lynch-Bages presented in rare
double magnum and two lots that were auctioned off for $160,000 each: a
2003-2005 vertical of Colgin Cellars Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and
three large-format Domaine Serene Monogram Pinot Noirs. A bid of $150,000
won four mammoth nine-liter bottles of Chateau Haut-Brion donated by Prince
Robert of Luxembourg.
Lifestyle lots that drew high bids included a mystery golf tour for seven
through America's Northeast, which was auctioned for $360,000. A winning
bid of $340,000 entitles two couples to a 10-day South African odyssey
through the country's premier wine regions and landscapes. A fantasy trip,
which included eight days for two couples on a life-changing excursion to
Thailand, was auctioned off for $240,000.
For the first time in the festival's history, guests made on-the-spot
donations for a special lot called a fund-a-need, which raised money for
NCEF's newest initiative -- the children's behavioral health collaborative
for low income and at-risk children. The lot raised more than $600,000.
Festival events spanned three days and included a tour of children's
charities to enable patrons to experience firsthand how festival proceeds
benefit children in need. Intimate vintner dinners prepared by the nation's
top chefs were held at NCEF trustees' homes, with wines personally poured
by internationally acclaimed vintners. Saturday's auction was cause for
celebration at a wine-down party, and a Sunday brunch brought festivities
to a close.
An NCEF check presentation and community celebration will be held April 18
to distribute funds raised at the 2010 festival. The 2011 festival will be
held Jan. 28 - 30. For more information about the Naples Winter Wine
Festival, go to www.napleswinefestival.com.