Kids Benefit from Wine Tasting

One thing can be said about Gainesville residents, and it's that they care. Last night, locals teetered through The Fresh Market's shopping aisles looking to support the community while getting a little tipsy. The Boys & Girls Club of America, a national organization that promotes the development of young people, and is known in the Gainesville events community for its top-notch fundraising events, hosted a wine tasting at the Fresh Market that lasted from 7:30-9:30 last night, or until the wine ran out.
Luckily that didn't happen. The tasting started right on time at 7:30 and by 7:45, it was obvious the night was a success. Lines formed around each table as attendees waited to sample wine and get a taste of the hors d'oeuvres set up at each station. We had our own personal success story when we found a super cute Look of The Day far from campus. (If you're looking for a reason to dress up, go to a BGCA event. The ladies have style.)

Fresh sushi, juicy roast beef sandwiches, cheese and crackers and inventive pastries were just some of the treats set out to replace or supplement Tuesday night dinner. The night also included discounted shopping, raffles and a silent auction, with gift cards to local businesses and signed memorabilia. (We won a cake!) While there for the wine tasting, some attendants decided to take care of business as they got some gourmet grocery-shopping done, taking advantage of the discounts. Proceeds will directly benefit the organization.

"Working with The Fresh Market was a breeze," says Laura Javidi, special events coordinator. "I think it went great."

"In this economy, we are just really trying to stay afloat for a couple more months until we can get some more fundraisers under our belt," Laura says. The next BGCA affair will be a brunch at Dragonfly on Oct. 8. Did we mention the BGCA has good taste? "It's really going to be first come, first served," Laura says. "And it will fill up fast."

—Stephanie Granada; Photos by Sean Kelly