Capacity Crowds Enjoyed Night of Food and Wine Throughout Factory at Franklin
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 5, 2012) – The Franklin Wine Festival presented by Cool Springs Wines & Spirits and supported by Nissan produced record results on Friday, October 19 at the Factory at Franklin. Over 2,100 attendees came out and enjoyed delicious wine, fantastic food, and live entertainment throughout the venue for a record $189,000 raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“The remarkable success of the Franklin Wine Festival will allow Big Brothers Big Sisters to pay for staff to recruit, interview and train eligible volunteers and families, complete critical background screening, and provide ongoing professional support of 189 children in need of a positive adult role model,” commented Mary E. Walker, Interim CEO for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. This brings the event overall proceeds since inception to over $820,000 to help serve children in Middle Tennessee with a mentor.
This is the eighth year for Cool Springs Wines & Spirits to present the Franklin Wine Festival. “We are grateful to all those who, year after year, help make this event the premier wine festival in the state,” said James “Woodie” Woodard, owner of Cool Springs Wines & Spirits. “We were able to offer an extensive selection of more than 350 wines thanks to our distributors – Athens Distributing, Aleksey’s Imports, Best Brands, Horizon Wine and Spirits, and Omni Beverages. It’s very satisfying to see so many people enjoying our wines and at the same time know that we are supporting a worthy cause.” These generous folks provide sampling from more than 350 wines for guests to enjoy while taking in the sights and sounds.
The event featured a hotly contested competition for “King and Queen of the Vines,” with Queen Alex Hughes raising $5,800 to narrowly beat out Duchess Tammy Russell who raised $5,630 in her quest for the crown. Princess Marguerita Jackson also brought a strong showing of pledges. On the men’s side, King Wil Trohanis raised $4,105 claiming that crown, Duke Charlie Grogan also brought out a strong fundraising effort as well. Hughes and Trohanis are both volunteer mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters throughout the year.
An exceptional selection of live entertainment was featured on three stages throughout the venue. Folk singers Elenowen, acoustic duo Austin Biscotto, rock band Modoc, country duo Smithfield, and a capella vocal ensemble the Nashville Singers all entertained attendees throughout the evening. The Franklin Wine Festival also featured Celebrity Wine Pourers Evan Farmer, host of “CMT’s Top Twenty Countdown;” Katie Cook, host of “CMT Insider;” Zoro the drummer, percussionist to Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Brown, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons; former Tennessee Titan Blaine Bishop; Charles Grogan from Season 8 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette;” Ty Brown from Season 6 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette;” and Kacie Boguskie from Season 16 of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”
“The Franklin Wine Festival is so unique, because it truly offers something for everyone,” commented Andrea Stilwell – 2012 Event Chair. “The food and wine are exceptional, but with the live and silent auctions, musical entertainment, King and Queen competitions – the event is so much more – and yet all efforts are mission focused benefiting the children of Big Brothers Big Sisters.”
Event sponsors for 2012 included Cool Springs Wines & Spirits, Nissan, Fifth Third Bank, Jackson National, Visit South Walton, Whole Foods Market, Wirtgen America, Bass Berry & Sims, Bank of America, Burr Forman, Delta Dental, ICON International, Nashville Office Solutions, and U.S. Engineering Associates among others. For a full list of sponsors, visit www.FranklinWineFestival.com.
Participating culinary exhibitors offering tasty samplings throughout were Bosco’s, Bricktops, Cabot Creamery, Cool Café, Eastland Café, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Gigi’s Cupcakes, J. Gumbo’s, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, Kroger Chef Shoppes, Mangia Nashville, Music City Flats, Noshville Deli, Olive & Sinclair Chocolate, Olivia Olive Oil, Park Café, Pei Wei, Perl Catering, Pomodoro East, Provence Breads, Sperry’s, Stoney River Legendary Steaks, Stoveworks, Tavern, The Mad Platter, The Melting Pot, Virago, Whole Foods Market, and Yin Yang Cupcakes.
The funds raised by the Franklin Wine Festival will be used to serve more children with a mentor throughout Middle Tennessee through Big Brothers Big Sisters programs. Children with a mentor make a better, safer choice which in turn reduces crime, improves graduation rates, and lays the groundwork for an overall economic benefit to the Middle Tennessee community.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. The organization holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, including educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships.
Partnering with parents, guardians, schools, corporations and others, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children with screened volunteer mentors, and then monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches in building safe, enduring relationships. The organization depends on donations to help recruit volunteers and reach more children.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee serves children all across Middle Tennessee in Metro Nashville/Davidson county as well as Williamson, Rutherford, Cheatham, Hickman, Dickson, Robertson, Sumner, and Wilson counties. To better serve children, the agency also has satellite offices in Murfreesboro and Springfield. The primary offices are located at 1704 Charlotte Avenue,
Suite 130 in Nashville.
