The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) announced that the 18th Annual Destin Charity Wine Auction presented by the Jumonville Family raised $3.5 million for children in need in Northwest Florida.
Held April 28 and 29 to a sold-out crowd of more than 600, proceeds benefit DCWAF’s 16 partner children’s charities in Northwest Florida.
“When we come together with a common goal, we become a force multiplier for the children of our community,” DCWAF President Karah Fridley-Young said. “I am blown away by the results of this weekend’s auction and am once again humbled by the generosity of our friends in the wine and culinary industry as well as our board of directors, sponsors, and patrons that raised their paddles high and often for those who need us most.”
The auction weekend began Friday, April 28, with 11 patron dinners in private homes and restaurants spanning from Gulf Breeze to Rosemary Beach, which collectively raised more than $560,000. The live auction kicked off on Saturday, April 29, with DCWAF’s flagship Magnum Force lot featuring 50 magnums from vintners past and present that raised $70,000. This year’s auction also boasted two lots that sold for more than $100,000. A five-night trip with private air passage donated by NetJets sold for $105,000.
Other notable lots included a trip to Paso Robles, which sold three times for a total of $90,000, an immersive trip to Umbria, which sold four times for a total of $100,000, and a trip to Portugal, which sold twice for a total of $90,000. This year’s Paddle Raise also raised over $250,000.
The funds will be distributed to 16 local non-profit organizations for specific projects and programs that benefit children. DCWAF’s charity partners for 2023 are AMIkids Emerald Coast, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Children in Crisis, Children’s Volunteer Health Network, Ellison McCraney Ingram Foundation, Emerald Coast Autism Center, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, Opportunity Inc., Point Washington Medical Clinic, Shelter House of Northwest Florida, The Arc of the Emerald Coast, Westonwood Ranch and Youth Village.
