Wine Me Up! Big Hit At AMC

The Foundation’s 2017 Wine Me Up! event at the MD & DC Credit Union Association’s Annual Meeting & Convention in Ocean City, Maryland was the most successful wine pull to date, raising over $4,500 for the Foundation’s Training Grant Program.  The Foundation has provided over $100,000 in training awards to help emerging credit unions pay for training sessions for their staff and volunteers.

Whether measured by the total donations of wine, contributions to buy wine, or by the level of wine-pull participation, Wine Me Up! 2017 set new levels of support for the Foundation’s fun “adult grab bag” event.

Attendees at the Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention, held June 11^th to 13^th at the Convention Center in Ocean City, MD, were invited to purchase wine pull tickets for $20 apiece that entitled them to “pull” a covered bottle from among the selections at the Foundation’s booth in the Exhibit Hall.

One hundred eighty bottles of wine, many of them premium selections, were donated to the cause, the most wine ever available in the event’s three-year history.  And over $2,600 in cash donations were made to allow the Foundation to buy bottles of wine.  Total Wine allowed the Foundation to make those purchases at 30% off retail price which boosted the value of those contributions and resulted in over 40% of the wines offered to be priced at $40 or above with some bottles priced well over $100.  Howard County Education FCU CEO Janet Oursler drew the coveted Dom Perignon champagne.

In addition, a 5-liter bottle of 2013 Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon, signed by the vintner, was donated by Fred Caprio of Allied Solutions.  That unique bottle was raffled, raising $1,000 at the event.  The drawing’s winner was MD|DC CUA’s Steve Joiner.

“This year’s Wine Me Up! was without a doubt, the best wine pull in our three-years sponsoring the event,” noted Foundation Executive Director Kyle Swisher.  “Convention attendees were standing four-deep waiting for their wine pulls and watching others pull from the nearly 200 bottles available.  All the credit for the success of Wine Me Up! goes to the generous donors who provided both the wine and funds for us to purchase wine and we thank them very much!”

Training Grants are available for staff and volunteers at credit unions up to $150 million in assets.  The Foundation provides reimbursement for qualified training up to 75% of the cost of training, to a maximum of $750 per year.  Applicants select the training provider that best meets their needs.  Training may be in-person or web-based.  Click here for details on training grants.

 

 

Many thanks to those friends of the Foundation who made wine and cash donations
to hep make Wine Me Up! 2017 a success!

Linda Albrecht Lindsay Alexander Steve Arbaugh Dan Berger Miguel Boluda John Bratsakis Bob Brenneman Margaret Burdette Mary Burrs Michelle Byrnie-Parker Nick Calvaresi Fred Caprio Eric Church Sean Connell Debbie Connors Chris Conway Allen Cox

Barry Decker Krista Ducharme Maggie & Buddy Fielding Ken Filipovich Kirk & Kathy Fox Jeff Goff Danny Gregg Darrell Guyton John Hamilton Laura Hassan Mary Ann Hewitt Dottie Horsman Howard Co. Edu. FCU Lucy Ito Jaime Kernus Marsha King Kathy Klisavage Brenda Minnich

Mike Mohney Joan Moran Kelly Mosher Jay Murry Jim & Kathy Norris Janet Oursler Leigh Philibosian Nick Prevas Jay Schwartz Ron Shockley Karen Stiltner Ginger Swisher Matt Thompson Sarah Turner Donald Tynes Natalie Woomer Beverly Zook