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Charity auctioning off rare bourbons at black tie gala

3 min read
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Bourbon aficionados and foodies should mark their calendars.

Care for a Cure, a nonprofit, dual-purpose organization that focuses on breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, is auctioning off hard-to-acquire bourbons, including a rare bottle expected to fetch up to thousands of dollars, at its Black Tie and Bourbon Gala Nov. 30 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Washington.

Care for a Cure was selected by Buffalo Trace Distillery as a recipient of one of 400 limited edition bottles from its six millionth barrel of bourbon to be auctioned off by nonprofits to raise money for their causes.

The nonprofit also will auction off a barrel of bourbon from Buffalo Trace and a trip for up to 15 people to the Frankfurt, Ky., distillery.

“It’s a really big deal to get selected,” said Dave McGarry, founder, chairman and CEO of Care for a Cure. “We’re one of 400 nonprofits from around the world.”

For the distillery trip, guests have the opportunity to taste bourbon from five barrels and select one. Buffalo Trace will then bottle and ships the spirits. The package also includes dinner and overnight accommodations.

The gala includes a five-course, bourbon-themed dinner, entertainment, live auction, silent auction and Chinese auction.

Also up for bid are vacations, jewelry, Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia and other items.

McGarry launched the nonprofit in 2008 in honor of his mother, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at age 55 and died about eight years later, and to recognize several friends who died from breast cancer.

All proceeds from the gala will be donated to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease research and initiatives.

McGarry said Care for a Cure’s bottle of bourbon from Buffalo Trace is among the last of those donated to nonprofits to be auctioned off. Other nonprofits have garnered winning bids as high as $20,000.

“It depends on who’s in the room,” said McGarry. “We’ll set a reserve price and hopefully get as much as possible.”

McGarry was prompted to host a bourbon-themed gala after he took note of the bourbon boom that has taken off in recent years.

“So many of the bourbons that people want are very limited, making them difficult to find, so it is nice to bring those things together to create a unique and fun event for our cause,” said Melinda Brown, vice president of operations for Care for a Cure.

The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel on Racetrack Road.

Tickets cost $100, and can be purchased at www.careforacure.org/bourbon, Eventbrite.com; Bacon, Bourbon and Beer restaurant; the DoubleTree Hotel, and Budd Baer Subaru in Washington. For more information, call 724-947-9900.

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