wine for haiti - this saturday

Hello and a head's up for my Seattleite friends: I am working with my wonderful new(ish) friend, Garren Katz, to raise funds via Wine for Haiti this Saturday for Haitian relief efforts. I have posted this on his behalf, but please know that I am fully involved, supportive and honored to be one of the recipients of funds raised for this worthy cause. Thank you, Garren for taking the initiative to organize this ambitious event -- especially on such short notice. I know it will be a smashing success!

Here's what Garren has to say about Wine for Haiti:

The earthquake in Haiti has been a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. The poorest nation in the western hemisphere has been turned to rubble and with more than 200,000 deaths – it’s hard to actually comprehend. When I realized that Tacoma has a population of 197,000, my chest clenched and I realized that I must do something. That was the genesis for the Wine for Haiti fundraiser.

Alone, I am unable to contribute as much as I’d like, so I decided to call upon the collaborative powers-that-be and put together a fundraiser with one simple goal in mind – to raise a boat load of money for people that are desperately in need of help. I don’t have a lot of extra money, but what I do have is a large stash of wine that’s built up over the years, and thus, Wine for Haiti was born.

The concept of Wine for Haiti event is simple:

•  Swing by the Vineyard Table on Saturday afternoon between 1-4 p.m. Please note: Vineyard Table can only accommodate 50 people at a time and I want as much foot traffic as possible.
•  Make a $25 suggested donation, then plan on trying some exciting wines. We will be opening many fun bottles to try at the event and will also have some tasty snacks to nosh on - all while raising funds for three fantastic organizations focused on Haiti.
•  The first 50 people through the door will take home a bottle of wine from my cellar with a value of at least $20. That is right, you will be taking a bottle of wine home with you. It’s a great deal.
•  If you get that feeling – that extra credit generous feeling – bid on one of more than 20 silent auction items (partial list below).

Silent auction items:

•  Large format bottles, as well as multi-bottle lots from some of the best wineries in Washington and Oregon.
•  Original art from local artists
• In home dinner for 6 prepared by amazing local chef Tom Black; paired with wines from Walla Walla   Winery Slight of Hand.
• A salon visit at Coupe Rokei in downtown Seattle.
•  In home cooking class for 2 families from Chef and Father creator, Greg Johnson
• Gift Certificates to local restaurants
•  An overnight stay at the Inn at Red Hills
•  A one hour massage from therapist Laura Sanderson
•  The remainder of the items will be added between now and Saturday

It’s my goal to raise $1,000 per hour, so please pass along Wine for Haiti details via word-of-mouth and your social media networks (Facebook & Twitter etc.). The more traffic this event receives, the more that we, as a collaborative effort, can help Haiti. 100% of these proceeds from this event will benefit Haitian relief efforts. Remember, this is a private event, so again, please pass this invite along to friends and family only. But, pass it on to a lot of them!

You may make your donation at the event (cash or check).

If you can’t make the festivities, but would still like to contribute, or perhaps you want to contribute with a debit or credit card, simply click on this link to complete your transaction in advance. If you are coming to the event and donated in advance, please print your ticket right from the BPT site. Our preference is for you to use this process, as it will make it easier for us to plan for the event.

You may also follow along on Twitter at #NWforhaiti -- we’ll be Tweeting all the feel-good fundraising details throughout the day.

Hope you can stop by for a fun-filled afternoon of helping Haiti. THIS IS A KID-FRIENDLY EVENT.

Wine for Haiti beneficiaries:

• 45% Wyclef Jean’s (a native Haitian) YELE foundation
• 45% Doctors without Borders
• 10% Local Seattleite Charyn Pfeuffer’s The Global Citizen Project

Charyn has traveled around the globe in the capacity of a professional journalist and have been profoundly impacted by the communities most underserved. It is her plan to swap her BlackBerry for a backpack and promote 12 selected causes and communities, as well as responsible travel via her platform as an influential journalist. Due to the tragedy in Haiti, Charyn made Haiti a top priority of the volunteer projects she’ll serve over the next year and has committed one month to Haitian relief efforts.

Find out more about Charyn’s project via Kickstarter here or her blog here