Naples Winter Wine Festival gears up for 2018

New Co-Chairs Bring Contagious Enthusiasm to the 2018 Naples Winter Wine Festival

Three Couples Gear Up to Raise Crucial Funds for Children in Need

 

Naples, FL – April 25, 2017 – The wheels are in motion for the next Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), set for January 2628, 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fl. Co-Chairing this year’s event are NCEF Trustees Becky & Lewie Card, Susie & David McCurry, and Kathy & Dan Mezzalingua. With an inspiring theme and this new team of passionate, dedicated Co-Chairs, this year is sure to be full of excitement and incredible impact for the Collier County community.

“All We Need is Love” is the theme that the 2018 Co-Chairs have chosen, and it represents the devotion to children and the community that is at the heart of each and every Naples Winter Wine Festival. Since the event’s inception in 2001, the Festival has raised more than $161 million for its founding organization,the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), which has awarded grants to more than 45 non-profit organizations that have impacted the lives of over 200,000 children. Guests of the Festival will join in this charitable mission as they raise their paddles during the Festival’s famed live auction, part of a weekend that features a myriad of masterpieces created by the top wine and food talent from around the globe.

Becky & Lewie Card were instantly enthralled by the Naples Winter Wine Festival and impressed with the work of NCEF upon moving to Naples. In looking for a way to give back to their new home, it immediately became clear that the impact of the Festival and NCEF was second to none. Becky and Lewie have always been seriously committed to serving underprivileged populations in their local communities. While living in Chattanooga, Lewie held leadership and board positions for the Urban League of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, the University of Chattanooga Foundation and The House of Refuge. Becky is a retired dentist, and Lewie is a third-generation business owner and chairman of Card-Monroe Corp. (CMC), the world’s leading manufacturer of custom built tufting equipment for the carpet, rug and artificial turf industries.

Susie & David McCurry have attended 15 of the 17 Festivals, and became NCEF Trustees in 2009. Susie has served on the Grant Committee for five years, and chaired the Committee for the past two years, thoughtfully leading the process of grant allocations and interactions with local charities. Their involvement with organizations benefiting children is not limited to NCEF. David, a former professional football player, coached sports and worked in education, serving on the Board of Naples Players and tutoring at St. Ann School. Susie worked in pre-school education and administration, and has extensive experience chairing fundraising events such as the St. Ann School Foundation Gala and the American Cancer Society Bucket List Bash. In Iowa, they support various charities such as Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center; Grinnell College Global Learning Program & Facilities; and Williamsburg Community Recreation, School, and Historical Buildings.

Kathy & Dan Mezzalingua have been Trustees of NCEF since 2015. Their work with NCEF is part of a lifelong dedication to advancing educational opportunities and providing health services for those in need. Together, they are the major donors for two K-11 schools in St. Kitts, West Indies; Dan has been a trustee of multiple higher education institutions such as Syracuse University, St. Bonaventure University, and Ave Maria University; and Kathy taught in Syracuse public schools. Additionally, Kathy is President of Saint Agatha Foundation, which supports women suffering from breast cancer by taking on the costs of surgery, medication and treatment not covered by insurance for “women who cannot afford their disease.” Dan developed, as well as managed, a family business that manufactured coaxial cable connectors for the cable TV industry with plants around the world. He had previously formed Octagon-Scientific, Inc., which developed one of the first convertors for cable TV use.

“The Co-Chair team is already hard at work—and this year’s theme really brings home the reason we are so determined to build on the Festival’s legacy with another spectacular event,” said Lewie Card, 2018 Naples Winter Wine Festival Co-Chair. “We are ready to share the love to the children of Collier County and make this another year of life-changing impact for those in need.”

Ticket packages to the Naples Winter Wine Festival, limited to 580 guests, start at $10,000 per couple. A $25,000 package is also available that includes reserved seating for a party of four at a vintner dinner and under the tent. To inquire about tickets to this exclusive event, please contact Barrett Farmer at barrett@napleswinefestival.com or239-514-2239.

About the Naples Winter Wine Festival

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is the most successful international charity wine auction in the world, bringing together renowned vintners and chefs with wine enthusiasts and philanthropists for a three-day Festival that raises millions of dollars for underprivileged and at-risk children. Every dollar raised under the tent funds the Festival’s founding organization, the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), whose annual grants and strategic initiatives have provided more than 200,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel.  For more information, please visit Napleswinefestival.com.

 

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