Wine tasting benefits Children Inc.

Wine tasting benefits Children Incorporated WHAT'S HAPPENING

Chez Foushee restaurant was the setting Feb. 12 for an intimate evening of wine tasting and a silent auction benefiting Children Incorporated's Haven Fund, which bridges the gap between children in need and sponsorships.

The fund, created last year, supplied many basic needs for more than 2,000 children worldwide until sponsors could be found.

At the fundraiser, the silent auction offered bidders getaway packages, special foods, art and other delights donated by the business community. A special Donate Items Table allowed guests to "buy" items for a child, such as backpacks with food, coats and mosquito nets.

Sales from tickets and auction items raised $6,500 to benefit the Haven Fund.

"We were so pleased and appreciative of the tremendous support for our Haven Fund," said President and CEO Marian Cummins. "This was such an important event for us. Sustaining our Haven Fund is crucial to providing the much-needed immediate assistance to children on our program while they are 'waiting' to be chosen for sponsorship. We were truly honored to have 90 guests in attendance and hope that this wonderful evening of fine food and wine, coupled with the knowledge that their generous participation was for such a meaningful purpose, that everyone felt a great sense of fulfillment."

Chairman of the Board Dick Baltimore introduced Mary Anne Graf, vice president of Women's & Children's Services, Bon Secours Health System, the event's lead sponsor.

Children Incorporated was founded in 1964 by the late Jeanne Clarke Wood. It is a Richmond-based, international, nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of children living in poverty. Through donations and sponsorship programs, its reach extends across the United States and to 23 foreign countries, partnering with schools, community centers and orphanages to provide food, clothing, health care and school supplies to more than 17,000 children.