Pull the Cork wine event raises $170,000 to benefit Lee BIA Builders Care
Pull the Cork, an intimate evening of wine and giving, has raised $170,000 to support Lee BIA Builders Care in granting lifechanging projects for local families in need of emergency home repairs.
An exclusive event held on March 12 at Florida Gulf Coast University, Pull the Cork brought the âbest of the bestâ boutique wines and gourmet food to create the ultimate four-course seated dinner, wine tasting and auction. Heath Porter, a 5-star sommelier and proprietor and president of Heathen Wine Tours, provided an in-depth exploration and heavy pours from renowned boutique vineyards including Beaux Frères Vineyards, Corison Winery, Heathen Wines, LaRue Wines, Maritana Vineyards and Tongue Dancer Wines. The tasting was artfully paired with a four-course menu created by the culinary team at Crave Culinaire and followed by a live auction with a limited selection of rare magnum wines up for bid.
A highlight of the evening included a spotlight on Andre and Soledad Jacques, North Fort Myers homeowners in desperate need of home repairs ranging from plumbing to electrical work and more. National homebuilder Pulte Homes stepped up to donate services valued at over $70,000 to cover the costs of the project.
âFrom the pandemic to supply shortages, the past couple of years have been challenging for the building community as well as local homeowners who cannot afford the rising costs of home repairs,â said Crystal Stouten, executive director of Lee BIA Builders Care. âPull the Cork was an evening full of generosity, and we are incredible grateful for all who gave their time and financial support to provide lifechanging services to elderly and disabled homeowners in need.â
Proceeds benefit Lee BIA Builders Care, the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA), in its mission to provide emergency construction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners, and their families, who cannot obtain repairs through traditional means. To date, Lee BIA Builders Care has helped more than 475 Lee County households and provided over $4.8 million in emergency construction services and materials at no cost to families and local homeowners in need.
Pull the Cork was presented by LSI Companies. Additional sponsors included Busey Bank, Huether Family, Pavese Law Firm, Rist Family Foundation, Seagate Development Group, Southwest Waste Services, Priority Marketing and Ken Sneeden & Associates.
About Lee BIA Builders Care
The mission of Lee BIA Builders Care is to provide emergency construction services at no cost to needy and deserving elderly and/or disabled homeowners, and their families, who cannot obtain repairs through traditional means. Lee BIA Builders Care offers a full range of no-cost emergency construction services to improve the safety and health for needy seniors and disabled individuals of all ages by enlisting the expertise and donated services and materials of contractors, sub-contractors and businesses. To date, Lee BIA Builders Care has put more than $4.8 million in construction services back into the community at no cost to homeowners in need. Builders Care is funded through financial donations, grants and donated services and materials to provide emergency construction services to qualified homeowners throughout the community. Lee BIA Builders Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization under the charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association. Lee BIA Builders Care is headquartered at 6835 International Center Blvd. #4 in Fort Myers. Donations can be made online at www.LeeBuildersCare.org. More information is available by calling 239-938-0056, and by following Builders Care at www.Facebook.com/LeeBuildersCare.
