Donors prepare to give big at Naples Winter Wine Festival

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Hundreds of guests will donate money to help children in need, all while enjoying the best culinary creations Naples has to offer.

Wine and children don’t usually mix, but this weekend is a different story.

A lot of the people who attend this weekend’s festival are big donors, and they’re ready to open their wallets for a good cause.

The Naples Winter Wine Festival benefits the Naples Children and Education Foundation—an organization that funds nearly 50 different charities in Collier County.

Erica Gomez is one of the teens who received help from the foundation.

Friday, at the “meet the kids day” portion of the weekend-long event, Gomez bravely told donors her story.

“The thing about my dad is he was violent toward me and my family, so it got worse and worse and the shelter helped us out,” she said.

People who come to the Ritz Carlton this weekend will bid on high ticket items like expensive wine, cars and trips around the world. Organizers say without these prizes, the opportunities for kids wouldn’t be possible.

They say they raised $15.2 million last year, and of course, they hope to exceed that goal this year.

The tickets for the event are sold out, but there is an online auction for less pricey items. All of those proceeds will go to charity as well.

Visit their website to access the auction here.

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