Residents Wine Taste for Charity

Wine, appetizers, and an auction were the ingredients used to cook up a philanthropic event on August 28.  The Northwest NJ Region of The Amerian Cancer Society hosted its very first wine tasting fundraiser at .

The organization used its newest event as a way to finish the summer season on a strong note.  Special Events Manger, Christen Reese told Patch that although a wine tasting is “not the traditional ACS fundraiser, we hoped the event would bring out a young, vibrant crowd.”  With a $40 entrance fee, attendees were treated to an all-you-can-eat appetizer buffet and washed it all down with a variety of red, white, blush, and dessert wines.

The drinks were proved by Alba Vineyard, and representatives educated the crowd on the winemaking process and the different qualities of each, individual bottle.  Alba Vineyard, located in the Village of Finesville, New Jersey, has “created a recognizable style of wine making which borrows from the past, looks to the future, and emulates the finest wineries in the world,” boasts the company’s website.

In addition to the delicious food and drink, guests were invited to bid on prizes in the silent auction. Items included gym memberships, beauty supplies, opera tickets, jewelry, and more, and were donated by organizations such as Little Black Dress Fitness, Lia Sophia, NJ Devils, etc.  Each business worked with ACS to determine starting bids “in order to maximize funds raised by the event.”

All of the proceeds and generous donations will go towards ACS’s goal of providing services to cancer patients in northwest NJ, in addition to funding lifesaving cancer research.  Reese was very pleased with the outcome of the evening, explaining that “the event was a great success and [they] hope to make it a yearly tradition.”