BY VICKI GILHULA
People will be eating, drinking and making merry at the Sudbury Community Foundation Annual Wine Festival for a good cause. The event will be held Saturday, April 23 at BrystonÂ?s on the Park in Copper Cliff.
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The gala, which usually sells out weeks in advance and is a popular date on SudburyÂ?s social calendar, is the main fundraiser for the foundation, explains executive director Carmen Simmons. The money is used to cover annual operating costs for the foundation.
Tickets are still available at the foundation office in the Rainbow Outlet Mall. Tickets are $100. A tax receipt will be issued for a portion of the ticket price.
The Sudbury Community Foundation has been quietly raising money for good deeds since 1996.
Â?We donÂ?t do in-your-face fundraising,Â? says Simmons. The foundation seeks one-time gifts from donors. The money raised is put into an endowment fund. Every year the interest on the money is distributed to worthy charities.
Since 1998, the foundation has given out almost $71,000 to organizations such as the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, Big Sisters, Dynamic Earth, the Sudbury Food Bank and CNIB.
The foundation has a $1-million nest egg, and board members hope to triple its size over the next few years.
Simmons chaired the steering committee that set up the foundation, a project spearheaded by the late Tom Davies when he was chair of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury.
Â?I thought I would do it for a few yearsÂ?but it grabs a hold of you,Â? she explains.
The foundation relies on the help of many volunteers who work in the office, sit on various wine festival committees, and, of course, serve as board members. Many businesses donate services in kind.
The theme for this yearÂ?s wine festival is Â?ThatÂ?s Entertainment.Â? There will be lots of surprises including a drive-in theatre.
The evening includes a silent auction, live entertainment and Â?amazing food,Â? says Simmons. Some of the cityÂ?s top caterers supply divine appetizers and desserts for this gala evening. In addition, to wine tasting there is also beer and spirits sampling.
Northern Life is the media sponsor of the Sudbury Community FoundationÂ?s Annual Wine Festival. For more information or tickets, phone 673-7770.
