Naples Winter Wine Festival: Auction raises more than $8 million to help children
Charles Runnells • crunnells@news-press.com • January 30, 2010
10:31 P.M. — Maracas rattled. Wine glasses clinked. Millionaires clapped and hooted. And the auction total climbed higher.
One million dollars.
Four million.
Seven million.
By the end of this afternoon, the Naples Winter Wine Festival auction had raised $8.07 million. That’s $3 million more than last year, which was an all-time low organizers blamed on the economy.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” co-auctioneer Humphrey Butler said, “we can now officially describe ourselves as a recession-busting auction.”
That $8 million, however, is still much less than the $14 million raised in 2008 and the record $15.67 million in 2007.
The money goes to children’s charities in Collier County.
Festival chairman Francis Rooney said he was happy with the $8 million, and he said festival organizers never set goals for fundraising at the auction. Any amount of money is good, he said.
“We’re focused on the kids,” said Rooney, who headed the event with his wife, Kathleen. “Every dollar counts. And we’re counting on every dollar.
“Those kids need the money.”
Under a giant tent behind Naples’ Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, bidders snacked on biscotti and hot dogs and drank complimentary bottles of Belles Soeurs pinot noir, Cohiba red and Morlet cabernet. Numbered paddles flashed as the bids got bigger and bigger:
• $110,000 for a collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild wine;
• $340,000 for a seven-day yacht cruise in the Bahamas;
• $360,000 for a northeastern U.S. golf tour.
The biggest bid was $440,000 for a one-week Mediterranean cruise aboard a 170-foot yacht. Through a festival volunteer, the bidder declined to be interviewed.
This year, new auction rules prohibited reporters from approaching the guests directly. Festival organizers cited privacy concerns.
The auction marked its 10th anniversary today, and co-auctioneer Ann Colgin has been there from the start.
“It’s really hard to believe this is year number 10,” said Colgin, peering out into the audience of about 500 bidders.
Comment from Money Penny: Naples was alive this weekend. The other night I saw Emeril Lagasse, and Thomas Keller (at least I thought it was he) wandering around on 5th Avenue (Naples, FL) Lots of star chef's and vintners there. I did not attend this year nor last but it is a good event. The increase in the amount raised is encouraging. My area is one of the hardest hit in this prolonged recession. Unemployment here is still over 13% |
