Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Hosts Grapes & Grain S. Jersey March 2

Imagine holding your nose and breathing exclusively through a drinking straw for three minutes. Not a pleasant exercise, especially if that straw becomes partially clogged. That’s the experience and fear of just about everyone who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, a disease with no cure that affects the respiratory system of more than 30,000 people in the United States.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Delaware Valley will further the quest for a cure as it hosts its 8th annual Grapes & Grain South Jersey tasting event March 2, 2018, at Auletto Caterers in West Deptford, N.J. Several dozen varieties of fine wine and craft beer will be available for sampling, and more exclusive varietals will excite the palette during a VIP reception in Auletto’s wine cellar beforehand. Hors d’oeuvres selected to complement the wines will be served all evening.

Designed for both the novice taster and the advanced oenophile, Grapes & Grain South Jersey offer a relaxed, yet lively, evening punctuated by live music, a silent auction featuring great food, fashion, sports, dining, electronics and experiential lots, and shared stories of the daily challenge of loving someone with cystic fibrosis.

“This is a night of celebration and indulgence, with the dual goals of having fun and helping to fund research into Cystic Fibrosis. Yes, this is an awful disease, but we’re on the cusp of breakthroughs that will end it, and that’s worth raising a glass – or several to,” said Mike Sanchez, Committee Chairman of Grapes & Grain and Board Member of the Cystic Fibrosis Delaware Valley Chapter.

In January 2012, the FDA approved Kalydeco™ a drug which treats the underlying genetic cause in approximately four percent of CF patients. In August 2015 the FDA approved the lumacaftor/ivacaftor combination drug, Orkambi, which is designed to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis for patients with two copies of the most common CF mutation, F508del. The approval of this drug is a powerful example of the Foundation’s successful venture philanthropy model through which it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help discover and develop new CF therapies. More research is needed to develop drugs to fulfill the Foundation’s mission to cure cystic fibrosis entirely.

Grapes & Grain South Jersey begins at 7:30 p.m. at Auletto Caterers, 1849 Cooper St., Deptford (Almonesson), N.J. General tickets are $85 in advance or $95 at the door. VIP tickets, which include an exclusive wine tasting beginning at 6:30 and a commemorative wine glass, are $125, or $150 at the door. A portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible. To purchase tickets visit: https://grapesandgrainsnj.eventscff.org.

Event sponsors as of January 16, 2018 include Super Buy Rite, Sycomp, Lucca Realty Group, J&J Snack Foods, International Paper, SPRYTE Communications and Green, Silverstein, & Groff, LLC. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available, ranging from a $250 Vintage Acknowledgement to $10,000 Wine Master Sponsorship, in which event will be referred to as “Grapes and Grain South Jersey Presented By ‘Company Name’”. For more information on sponsoring, contact Vanessa Deussing at 610-325-6001 or vdeussing@cff.org.

About Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Delaware Valley

The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to cure cystic fibrosis and to provide all people with the disease the opportunity to lead full, productive lives by funding research and drug development, promoting individualized treatment and ensuring access to high-quality, specialized care. The Delaware Valley Chapter provides support and services to Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Southern New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.cff.org/DelawareValley or call 610-325-6001.