HOUSTON – Last week, Brighter Bites, a Houston-based nonprofit providing under-resourced families with fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education, hosted a virtual wine event, Wine for a Cause, as part of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Foodservice Conference held in Monterey, CA.
The organization showcased a virtual wine cellar for tradeshow attendees to bid on items ranging from single bottles and wine cases to winery tours and tastings. All proceeds will be used to provide Brighter Bites with the produce and nutrition educational resources to impact more families across the country.
“To all that donated and purchased wine during our Wine for a Cause event, we thank you for making it such a success,” said Rich Dachman, CEO of Brighter Bites. “Seeing our industry come together at the IFPA Foodservice Conference to help an important cause that we take so seriously encourages and strengthens our mission, and we look forward to the next opportunity to do so again.”
The Wine for a Cause virtual auction included multiple donors resulting in $56,805 total donations. This closing reception and virtual wine auction would not have been made possible without the support from a number of industry leaders, including IFPA and in particular, D’Arrigo New York who generously donated $10,000 for the cause. With the low cost associated with the event, Brighter Bites was able to keep nearly every dollar raised. The event was completely digital and emphasized its free registration and high-end wines and experiences.
This fall, Brighter Bites will be celebrating its 10th year of providing fresh fruits and vegetables along with nutrition education to families throughout the country. Beginning in Houston in 2012, the organization has now grown to serving families and students in food deserts across nine major metropolitan areas with over 50 million pounds of fresh produce.
To learn more about Brighter Bites, visit brighterbites.org, or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or YouTube.
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About Brighter Bites:
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 50 million pounds of fresh produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 500,000 individuals (including teachers) in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, Southwest Florida, Salinas, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.
