Family Services Support Group Hosts Wine Tasting Fundraiser On Thursday

New to the area? Looking for a worthy cause to join? Just want fun a night out?

Well, in Port Chester might be the place to go.

The shop, which specializes in European wines, is hosting a wine tasting fundraiser for the Junior Board of Family Services of Westchester from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. Junior Board officials are hopeful the event, which is in its second year, raises money for their mission and attracts more recruits to their cause.

“Tarry Wine had just opened and they reached out to our development director,” said Amy Kerrigan Cole, a member of the Junior Board. “It is centrally located for all of us and we loved the space. We’re trying to get 20 to 30 somethings, so we decided to have a wine tasting event rather than a full-fledged gala. We thought it would be a good way to get people interested in us.”

The Junior Board, which was founded in January 2011,  is a group of county residents dedicated to promoting Family Services of Westchester and increasing awareness of the organization’s youth programs through educational, entertaining and service initiatives.

The group also manages a Youth Enrichment Fund, which provides supplemental funding to Family Services’ youth programs.  The group raised more than $20,000 in its first year.

Recently, the Junior Board awarded $5,500 in grants from its Youth Enrichment Fund in February to the following Family Services of Westchester programs: Community Residence for Children and Adolescents, the Westchester County Youth Council and Social Stars.

“It will provide an opportunity for some of these kids and teenagers to do things that they never get to do,” Cole said. “Some of these kids have never left Westchester.”

The board is currently composed of the following members: Amy Cole, Pelham; Robin Bratone, Pelham; Leslie Chang, Scarsdale; Karen Beatty, Rye; Lauren Gallagher, Rye; Andrew Cole, Pelham; Ashley Dolan, Pelham; Virginia Hartmere, Pelham; Kathy Ellis, Pelham; Liz Perreten, New Rochelle; James Gentile, Larchmont; Stacy Saabye, Larchmont; and Laura Rosen, White Plains.
 
Last year’s wine tasting drew more than 80 people and raised $5,000, according to Cole.

The event is open to the community. Tickets cost $35 per person. Anyone interested in attending the event can contact Deborah Wilson at (914) 305-6876 or dwilson@fsw.org.