Corporate sponsorship, community involvement and educational excellence are all important charitable concerns at Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware, according to Steven Dick, Executive Vice President, General Manager of Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware, which is a division of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., the country’s leading wine and spirits distributor.
The Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities (DFRC): Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware is proud to support the DFRC, which is a well-respected foundation dedicated to raising funds and consciousness through quality events to support enrichment programs so that all Delawareans with intellectual disabilities maximize their potential, independence, and enjoyment of life.
In 2009 as in past years, the DFRC is the sponsor of seven major annual events that involve hundreds of citizens in our state. With only three paid employees, the majority of activities are executed by volunteers, providing for an exceptionally high percentage of the funds raised being returned directly into the community by grant awards.
DFRC's founding event is the DFRC Blue-Gold AlléStar Football Game, initiated in 1956 by Bob Carpenter and Jim Williams. The DFRC Blue-Gold Game involves students with outstanding character, community involvement, leadership ability, sportsmanship, and overall respect for their fellow man who also happen to be football players, cheerleaders, band members, and ambassadors. The high school students are chosen by their schools and offered the opportunity to be paired with a child or young adult who is intellectually challenged in order to create a better understanding of the abilities they possess. This pairing is the Hand-in-Hand Program, and it is the very heart of DFRC's Blue-Gold Program. From February through June, the DFRC Hand-in-Hand Program sponsors planned events that allow the high school seniors and their buddies who are intellectually challenged opportunities to interact and bond, and to build and nurture relationships that enhance the development of understanding and compassion for each other.
DFRC and its outreach belong to the entire state of Delaware, and the results of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers are rewarded by the magnitude of the enrichment OFRC provides for all Delawareans. The Hand-in-Hand Program teaches everyone involved valuable lessons about acceptance, inclusion, relationships, and unconditional love. Both high school students and their buddies reap tremendous personal rewards from their participation in the DFRC Blue-Gold Program. Visit the DFRC web site at www.dfrcfoundation.org for more insight into the efforts of this Foundation.
The Basket Brigade of Delaware/Southern 40 for 40 Anniversary Charity Program
In September 2008, Southern Wine & Spirits of America announced the names of charitable organizations throughout the country to be awarded donations for the 40 for 40 Charitable Giving Program. Among those awarded was The Basket Brigade of Delaware.
Founded in 1991 by a small group of individuals, The Basket Brigade of Delaware is a volunteer organization that delivers food to families most in need, in time for Thanksgiving. For the past 5 years, employees of Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware have donated food items to the Basket Brigade of Delaware, and were thrilled to find that Southern Wine & Spirits of America had chosen to give a very generous donation to the Basket Brigade of Delaware. This year, The Basket Brigade of Delaware was able to deliver 2,084 baskets of food containing a turkey and 23 other food items to families in the Delaware community. The generosity of Southern Wine & Spirits of America combined with the donations from other local organizations and the help from hundreds of volunteers, helped to make 2008 another successful year for The Basket Brigade of Delaware.
Breathe for Life Golf Classic
In 2009, as in previous years, Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware is a proud supporter of the annual Breathe for Life Golf Classic. The tournament is held to raise money for research, programs, services and advocacy efforts by the American Lung Association of Delaware.
American Lung Association of Delaware
The American Lung Association of Delaware is an organization that supports programs and services such as tobacco prevention programs for youth and teens as well as tobacco cessation efforts for those already smoking, research to find a cure for asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other lung diseases, advocacy efforts to ensure that Delaware’s indoor and outdoor air remain clean, support and educational opportunities for patients and their families affected by COPD, sarcoidosis and other respiratory diseases, as well as educational initiatives for physicians, health care professionals and other community volunteers. Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware continues its support of this worthy group in 2009.
Harry’s Hospitality Golf Outing
In 2008 and in 2009, Southern Wine & Spirits of Delaware is proud to sponsor the Harry’s Hospitality Golf Outing. Created about 10 years ago by Xavier Teixido, Owner of Harry’s Savoy Grill, the annual Harry’s Hospitality Golf Outing raises money to award a student enrolled in the Hospitality Restaurant and Industrial Management program at the University of Delaware. This charitable event is aimed at encouraging and inspiring students enrolled in the program to become educated in, and excel in the hospitality industry.