Must! Charities Raises $2.5 million at Wine Industry Party with a Purpose
Wine industry and business leaders from across the country once again came together at Must! Charities’ PURPOSE event with a shared goal to give back, resulting in a $2.5 million total in August.
In its second year, PURPOSE eclipsed the $1.3 million generated at last year’s inaugural event. With this latest success, PURPOSE continues to rise in the ranks of the top 15 grossing wine auctions in the United States.
The 2nd annual PURPOSE event was held at Booker Vineyard on August 13, 2022. PURPOSE was an ambition of Eric Jensen, farmer-winemaker at Booker Vineyard and a founding member of Must! Charities.
PURPOSE offered up fine dining, auction lots and festive live performances, helping support needs in the greater San Luis Obispo County region. This year’s theme was “Let’s get uncomfortable,” prompting guests to dig deep on behalf of those in need.
“Our little community of Paso Robles continues to show why it is the hottest and most special place in the wine world,” Eric said. “The local vintners and those who love their wines are not just in it for themselves. They are putting profits back in and building a stronger, healthier community that strives to leave no one behind.”
“Fund a Need” Nets $1.3 Million
The star of this year’s show was the “Fund a Need” lot benefitting the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides academic opportunities to children of vineyard and winery workers. A total of $1.3 million was raised for this lot, with more than $1 million earmarked for the scholarship fund and the remainder being invested in upcoming projects at Must! Charities. Top “Fund a Need” contributors included JUSTIN Vineyard & Winery, Constellation Brands, Eric and Lisa Jensen, Doug and Sabrina Kruse, Law Estate Wines, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Saxum Vineyards and Southern Glazer’s. These top bidders set the tone and energized more than 100 other people to raise their paddles in the spirit of giving.
“The hardest workers, those working amongst the vines and in the soil, are the ones who built the Paso wine region,” said Becky Gray, Executive Director of Must! Charities. “But they aren’t always the ones recognized and glamorized. It was incredibly emotional to witness the camaraderie of the crowd to come alongside these families and create opportunities in education that they may otherwise not have.”
Must! Charities has historically been a grassroots effort in the region and PURPOSE extends the organization’s reach by bringing local Paso Roblans and out-of-towners together. Organizers said the success of PURPOSE ultimately gives Must! Charities increased capacity to move the needle on social issues.
To find out more about the MUST! Charities fundraising charitable campaigns, visit here.
