In late March of 2013 I wrote the following for our April newsletter:
"Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation recently received news we have waited for since 2006. Wine Spectator Magazine listed our 2012 auction as one of the Top Ten Charity Wine Auctions in the United States. Our live auction sales at $894,630 earned us the last spot of the top ten. I think I can speak for many when I say that now that we are in the top ten we are not going to come off this list! In fact, now that we have made the top ten, our goal is to make the top five. To reach that goal we will need to exceed $1,250,000 in live auction sales in 2013. I know we have the potential to do to this well and even more."
As you most likely know by now we did break the top five in 2014, coming in at number four, just $20,000 ahead of fifth place!
Thanks to a very committed Board of Directors, great work by our charity partners and the generosity of our supportive vintners and chefs we will, once again, offer a stellar line up of auction lots to our patrons at this year's auction.
If you are among the fortunate 550 or so people attending the auction, we urge you to bid often and bid high. Not so we can again make Wine Spectator's Top Ten, although we certainly hope to do so. The true reason we all work so hard and spend so generously is because the children we support have so many needs.
You should have received your catalog in the mail by now, and it is on our website. Many auction items are for four, six or even ten people. Assemble your teams, plan your strategy and come prepared to push our live auction to a new high this April. And remember, it really is all about the kids.
- John Russell
President
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation