How our 15th Anniversary = 27 years of Philanthropy

So, how exactly do you cram 27 years of giving in to 15 years? With an explanation  of course!  The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas officially turns 15 years old tomorrow, October 27th, 2012.  You see, according to the IRS, we were formed as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit public foundation on October 27th, 1997 thus making tomorrow our 15 year anniversary.  Pretty cool.

However, we have actually been operating as a philanthropic community donor for over 27 years starting with our first ever Rare and Fine Wine Auction in April of 1985 benefiting KLRU public television.  Over the past 27 years, we have given over $1.50 million back to our community through scholarships, grants and donations including over $800,000 to our original beneficiary, KLRU.  We have also given out over $190,000 in culinary scholarships, $175,000 in grants to underwrite TexSom and $15,000 to Share our Strength and Texas No Kid Hungry to help end childhood hunger.

Coincidentally, tomorrow will also be my 2 year anniversary with the Foundation so clearly I have not personally witnessed all the good deeds we have done.  However, I am a pretty good forensic investigator and have had a lot of fun learning all the good works we have done from helping eradicate Xylella fastidiosa (Pierce's disease) in our Texas vineyards in partnership with Texas Tech University to sponsoring a TV show about childhood nutrition once called Flapjax and Papi's Kitchen (unfortunately, we were a little too far ahead of our time for the show to succeed).

Of course, we are not about to stop here!  We have selected Dell Children's Medical Center as our 2013 Rare and Fine Wine Auction beneficiary, we are committed to hosting the annual TexSom conference and we are partnering with a group in West Texas to raise money for the South Plains Food Bank and much, much, more.

I have no idea if we will continue for another 27 years or 100 years, but I can tell you that I am very proud of what we have accomplished so far and look forward to the next 15 years with the Foundation.

Cheers,

Marshall Jones

Executive Director

Texas Wine Month

The Texas Department of Agriculture has named October Texas Wine Month, so what better time to support the many wineries of the Lone Star State? Texas is the fifth largest wine producing state and brings nearly 1 million tourists here each year. The 2012 Texas harvest has been one of the largest grape harvests in state history and has got Texas winemakers and wine enthusiasts alike very excited.

The Wine and Food Foundation is celebrating with a Wine Dinner this coming Monday hosted by Gusto Italian Kitchen + Wine Bar and Duchman Family Winery, which has recently been named "best Texas wine" by the Dallas Morning News. This five-course meal and wine pairing will be accompanied by Duchman Winemaker Dave Reilly and Gusto Chef Julio Cesar Florez.

There are also lots of other ways to get involved in Texas Wine Month and support our local and regional winemakers. Texas Hill Country Wineries offers tastings from 17 Texas Wineries with A Month of Sundays: Barrel and Tank Tasting. While enjoying your pairings, discuss the winemaking process, winery lifestyle and the future of the wine industry in the Texas Hill Country with winemakers and owners. You can also catch the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest on Saturday, October 27 to celebrate and indulge in delicious Texas food and 100 different Texas wines.

Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

After settling into our new space, we're ready to show it off and celebrate with you all! Please join us this Thursday, October 4 for the Austin Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of our new Sixth Street office.

The ribbon cutting will be from 1-2 p.m. and will be followed by an Open House until 7 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be served throughout the day, so come hungry! We welcome you all to come celebrate and check out our new office.

The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas

2121 East 6th Street, Suite 102

Austin, TX 78702

Thursday, October 4 | 1-7 p.m.