| | The Georgia Chapter’s Evening “Under Spanish Skies”
June 17, 2008
At the Georgia Chapter's ninth annual Wine & Roses Gala in late April, flamenco guitarists moved through the crowd, strumming their Andalusian rhythms as more than 250 guests delighted in the sights, sounds and spice-filled aromas of sunny Spain—and raised $225,000 for the CF Foundation.
Bid for a Cure speaker Vijay Rawal chats with best friend John John Pickering, who has CF, at the
Wine & Roses gala in Atlanta.
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Gathering at the Atlanta Athletic Club for the wine-tasting event, guests were treated to “rosados y blancos” harvested in the popular Spanish wine regions of Catalonia and Valencia, a sit-down to a dinner of paella and other seafood dishes and, later in the evening, a dramatic tango performance.
During the silent auction, attendees had the opportunity to bid on fine Spanish wines and exotic vacations. A highlight of the auction was a stunning original watercolor by artist and a past Honorary Chair of Georgia’s Wine & Roses, Thomas Arvid, which—exceeding all expectations—sold for more than $20,000.
During Bid for a Cure, 15-year-old Vijay Rawal captivated the audience with a moving speech about his relationship with best friend John John Pickering, who has cystic fibrosis. “I can accept losing my best friend to a girlfriend. I can accept losing him when he leaves to attend a different college. But I won’t accept losing him to CF,” said Rawal, “especially when we have the power to make a difference.”
Co-Chairs Kaye and Ron Carter and Honorary Chair Kessel D. Stelling, Jr., president and CEO of Presenting Sponsor Bank of North Georgia, helped make Wine & Roses a success. Thanks also go to Presenting Sponsor Solvay Pharmaceuticals and to Jim and Muriel Dollar, longtime friends of the Foundation whose company, Dollar Concrete Construction, acted as Premier Sponsor.
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