34th Annual Wine & Cheese Festival to support hospice

FREDON – Guests are invited to sample wines, enjoy live music and the afternoon’s exciting auctions – all while surrounded by the amazing views at Waterwheel Farm. Friends of Hospice, a volunteer group that supports Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will host its 34th annual Wine & Cheese Festival on Sunday, September 9, from 2 to 5 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, September 16) at Waterwheel Farm, 124 Fredon-Marksboro Road. The farm is located on the very picturesque 400 acres in Fredon owned by the Klemm Family.
“The Wine & Cheese Festival has become a tradition on the event calendars of wine enthusiasts throughout the area for many years,” said Jeanette Klemm, Vice-President and founding member of Friends of Hospice, “The afternoon is also a wonderful opportunity to support the valuable work of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.”
Since the first Wine & Cheese Festival 34 years ago, the arrangement of this fantastic afternoon has remained close to the original event. This year, as in many other years, Jeff Gaynor and Smooth Sailin’ will entertain the crowd with their musical backdrop of summer favorites. Festival guests mingle and visit 18 tables of wines each selected to give attendees a full spectrum of samples from across the globe and price scale. Tables will also be filled with cheeses, fruits and desserts to pair with the wines and champagnes. When taking a break from tasting wine, guests are invited to participate by placing their bids on an array of items at the silent auction; or review the featured items that will be up for bid at the live auction held at the end of the day. Local businesses or individuals generously donate all items.
Along with the dedicated team of Friends of Hospice volunteers, the festival is coordinated by Randy Burke, owner of Burke’s Wine & Liquor in Sparta, who assembles more than 100 wines and champagnes from around the world for guests to sample. Special guests include Paul Kreusch from Leonard Kreusch Wines; Kasey DeGasperis from Regal Wine Imports; Mark Tucker with Wine Twist of New Jersey; Seth Proper with Proper Selections; Gary Hill representing Frederick Wildman & Son; Mark Krupkin from Brooklyn Spirits; Manny Carvalho from Worldwide Beverage and Banning Donahue representing Louis LaTour.
“Randy’s support of the hospice and his many years of orchestrating this event have been pivotal in raising thousands of dollars to support the patients and families that we serve,” said Lisa O’Hara, President of the Friends of Hospice. This year Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice proudly presented Randy Burke with the 2018 Spirit of Hospice Award at the Hospice Honors Banquet hosted annually to recognize the exemplary dedication of hospice staff, board members and community supporters.
For over thirty-eight years the hospice has helped thousands of area families cope with the terminal illness of loved ones; proceeds from this year’s Wine & Cheese festival will continue to assist hospice patients and their loved ones. Tickets for the Wine & Cheese Festival are on sale at the pre-event purchase price of $40.00 for adults only and can be purchased at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 99 Sparta Avenue in Newton and at Burke’s Wine & Liquor in Sparta or online at www.karenannquinlanhospice.org/wine. On the day of the event the entrance price at the gate is $50.00.
Julia Quinlan said, “The Wine & Cheese Festival remains one of our most successful fundraisers. It is certainly one of our most enjoyable.”
Joining the Friends of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and Burke’s Wine & Liquor as Event Sponsors are several area business leaders including Lakeland Bank, Regional Cancer Care Associates, Ferguson Funeral Home, F. John Ramsey Funeral Home, Contral Security, Ames Corporation, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc., Elenora L. Benz Esq., Biondo Investment Group, Brach Eichler, LLC, Davis R. Chant Realtors, Home Instead Senior Care, Iliff-Ruggiero Funeral Home, Qualitas Pharmacy and Sussex County Community College Foundation. For additional information, please call 973-383-0115, 800-882-1117 or visit www.karenannquinlanhospice.org/wine.
The Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation is passionately dedicated to providing Hospice care for the terminally ill and bereavement counseling for those who have lost loved ones. Serving Sussex and Warren Counties NJ and Northeast PA; please call 800-882-1117 to reach any of our services at either office; Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 99 Sparta Ave., Newton, NJ and Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 104 Bennett Ave., Milford, PA. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is an independently owned hospice program and proud to be the preferred hospice provider for Newton Medical Center and area Atlantic Health Care System. The award-winning Home for Hospice is located in Fredon, NJ. The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center is open to hospice families and the community for bereavement support, counseling and educational opportunities; it is located at 5 Plains Rd. in Augusta with satellite offices in Pike and Warren Counties. For hospice programs, events, and more information visit www.karenannquinlanhospice.org or Facebook.com/KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org.