Auction Items Wow Winefest Crowd! by Renae Brantley

June 12, 2011

Cloudy skies and chilly temperatures did not dampen the spirits of more than 400 supporters of the Crisis Center, at their 16^th Annual Winefest and Auction. The picturesque setting of Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, provided the perfect backdrop for an evening of wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres sampling and auction bidding. 

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The Winefest Committee gathered a magnificent display of auction items to attract bidders at every price point. As always, the Live auction items caused some fast and furious competition among bidders. But none as much as the trip for 2 to the luxurious Brush Creek Lodge & Spa in Saratoga, Wyoming, the newest property in the White Lodging chain. Intense back and forth bidding also took place for the front row seats for the Black Hawks, the Lima Lima Show Team Flight Experience, the private dining for 12 at Jack Binion’s Steak House, and the Sanibel Island getaway!. And, hats off to the committee for managing to snag a much-coveted tour of U.S Steel’s Gary Works plant, an experience that hasn’t been available to the general public for more than a decade!

Shirley Caylor, Executive Director at the Crisis Center and her staff, including Nikki Wielgos, Sandra Porter-Phillips, Barbara Wisdom, Gavin Mariano, Willie Perry, Bill Robinson, and a host of others continue to do some amazing work with teens, families and seniors in crisis, or in need of interventions to improve their daily lives. The proceeds from the Winefest will help to continue their much-needed work in the community.

Congratulations on a job well done to Andy Arnold, John Diederich, and Tom Collins , event chairs, and their committee: Sue Arnold, Speros Batistados, Julie Bieszczat, Charlie Blum, David Bochnowski, Keith Bruxvoort, George Carberry, Carla M. Cohen, Bonnie Coleman, Joyce Davis, Vic Demeyer, Timothy Fesko, Karen Fulkerson, Bunny Furlin, Helen Garrison, Susan Griffin , Fred Halpern, Yvonne Hoff, Katie Holderby, Vance Kenney, Leslie Kiefer, Laura Kittle, Alexander Koleff, Teresa Krasinski , Patrick Lee, Todd A. Leeth, Mark Maassel, Julie Masterson, Thomas McDermott, Bishop Dale Melczek, Shar Miller, Suzanne Mulshine, Rita Nangle, Paul Onest, Joel Palaschak, Cyndy Paliga, Jim Peller, Joann Plank, Tom Ploski, Craig Pratt, Andrea Pearman, Len Schmidt, Janet Schulte, Linda Skolak, Tom Sourlis, Scott Steinwart, Tom Stevens, Christine Swan, Lisa Tatina, Dave VanDyke, Anne VanKeppel, Glenn Vician, Donald J. Weiss, Robert Welsh, Bruce White, and Crisis Center committee members Shirley Caylor, Barbara Wisdom, and Nikki Wielgos.

Renae Brantley

©Renae Brantley

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