MINT HILL, NC – Mark your calendars for the Mint Hill Women’s Club Annual Fundraiser! Set to take place on February 24 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, “Sip, Savor, Support” promises to be the social event of the season! “Everybody that is anybody in Mint Hill will be there that night!” says Co-President Andree West.
Doors open at 6:00 for registration and ticket sales for the raffle and wine pull. Up for grabs will be more than 20 baskets valued at up to $80 each. “One of the baskets I’m excited about features a scavenger hunt for two people,” says West. “There are five of them right here in Charlotte; they take you around the city and you find different things. But the exciting thing is you don’t have to use it in Charlotte! You can choose from 100 different cities.” Other sure-to-be-coveted raffle baskets include a murder mystery game and a chocolate lovers’ package. Raffle tickets are available 20 for $30.
It may be put on by the Mint Hill Women’s Club, but “Sip, Savor, Support” is far from a “women’s only” event. From a one-of-a-kind sketch by Dennis the Mennis artist Marcus Hamilton to tickets to see the Charlotte Hornets face off against the Utah Jazz, the silent auction promises something for everyone. A villa vacation package at Pinehurst, 12 lower level tickets to see the Charlotte Checkers take on the Providence Bruins, four field-level VIP seats to see USL pro soccer team Charlotte Independence, rounds of gold at Pine Lake Country Club and Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation, artwork from Pottery 51 and other local artists, and gift cards from local restaurants all promise to be in high demand, so bid early and bid often! Bidding will begin at 6:30 pm.
The event promises a unique and varied selection of wines from many different origins. “We worked with a sommelier at Total Wine,” says West. “We have wines from Napa, Oregon, New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Germany – we really wanted to provide unique wines that are not necessarily available in your local grocery store.” In addition to eight wine-tasting stations, there will also be two beer-tasting stations showcasing local NC beers from Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and Asheville-based brewery Sierra Nevada.
This event marks the 47th annual fundraiser for the Women’s Club but only the second annual “Sip, Savor, Support.” Building on the success of their usual card party fundraiser, the Mint Hill Women’s Club decided to expand their annual fundraiser and host the first “Sip, Savor, Support” in February of 2020.
It paid off. The event raised over $28k, nearly quadruple what the club had been able to raise through past annual fundraisers. Funds raised through “Sip, Savor, Support” enabled the Women’s Club to provide three $2k scholarships to attend CPCC and make substantial donations to community partners like Honor the Warriors, Healing Vine, and Servant’s Heart. “It really changed the dynamic of what we as a club are able to give back to the community,” says West.
Unbeknownst to West at the time, it also prepared the club to face a tough year to come. Just two weeks after the first “Sip, Savor, Support,” COVID hit, and everything shut down. Looking back now, West considers the club fortunate not only to have been able to hold one of Mint Hill’s last large-scale events before the shutdown but also to raise enough money to be able to provide COVID relief in the coming year when safety concerns and restrictions on large gatherings virtually eliminated the club’s ability to fundraise.
“We did a lot with the hospitals,” recalls West. “We made baskets for hospital staff and first responders, for the police and fire departments. We donated $500 worth of N95 masks to the Idlewild Fire Department, which really filled an immediate need they had.”
Nearly two years after that first successful event and still dealing with the effects of COVID, West is cautiously optimistic about the second Sip, Savor, Support. “I would love to make just as much,” she says, “but we’re just happy to be coming back after a two-year hiatus.”
“Sip, Savor, Support” is part of the Mint Hill Women’s Club’s long tradition of service to the Mint Hill Community, work they wouldn’t be able to accomplish without the support of their community sponsors. Event sponsor Messer Financial Group is providing the hors d’oeuvres for the event, and several local businesses are sponsoring wine tasting stations.
Tickets are currently on sale, and there are two different options for enjoying the event. A $40 entry ticket includes entry to the event, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and wine and beer samples from ten different stations. A $75 VIP ticket includes added perks: a Novant tote bag, a souvenir stemless etched wine glass, a mystery wine bottle valued at up to $80, and 30 raffle tickets. Doors will open at 6:00 pm on February 24 for registration, raffles and the silent auction. Raffle winners will be drawn at 8:00 pm, and you must be present to win. Auction checkout will begin shortly before 8:30 pm. Masks are strongly encouraged when guests are not eating or drinking. Tickets can be purchased online through February 15: https://www.mhwclub.com/fundraiser-tickets.html.
