Wine Spectator has released its top 10 U.S. Charity Auctions of 2015, and the 2015 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest ranked fourth highest in the nation. Held at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club, last year’s Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest raised $2.2 million through ticket sales and auction lots and brought in an additional $1.1 million through fund-a-need donations, bringing the total raised and donated to $3.3 million.
“We are honored that Wine Spectator has ranked the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest among the top-grossing wine fests in the country,” said Elaine Hawkins, board president of SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc. “This was all possible due to the $350,000 contributed by generous trustees and sponsors to underwrite the cost of the event so that every dollar raised at the two-day festival serves our region’s children and students. To achieve this highly regarded ranking is a truly reflection of the generosity of the Southwest Florida community.”
The SWFL Children’s Charities Inc.’s annual signature fundraiser, the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, has raised $15.6 million over the past seven years. The nonprofit, SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc. donates 100 percent of the event proceeds to three local beneficiaries. Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is the primary beneficiary of the event, and the money raised helps to fund the building of the new family-centered children’s hospital that will provide new and expanded medical services and subspecialty services to children from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. In addition to providing funds for the new state-of-the-art Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc. supports pediatric health care programs and provides scholarships for students at Florida SouthWestern State College and Florida Gulf Coast University. For more information, visit www.swflwinefest.org.
