D

estin Charity Wine Auction Foundation 
(DCWAF) held their 12th Annual check 
presentation on August 22 at the Water Color 
Lake House in Santa Rosa Beach. Founded in 

2005, and recognized as one of the nation’s Top 10 Charity 
Wine Auction in the U.S. by Wine Spectator Magazine for 
the last five consecutive years, it is currently ranked as the 
third largest charity wine auction in the country.

The DCWAF has donated more than $15 million to 

Northwest Florida Charities by hosting world class wine 
and Culinary events. These funds have impacted the lives 
of over 90,000 youth, including those afflicted by health 
issues and abuse.

For 2017, with a $40,000 increase over last year’s 

donations, Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation 
donated $2.7 million to 15 benefiting children’s charities, 
including: AMIkids Emerald Coast, ($120,000), The 
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast ($200,000), 
Children in Crisis ($225,000), Children’s Volunteer 
Health Network (CVHN) ($225,000 to fund and serve 
underinsured and uninsured children in need of dental 
care), Emerald Coast Autism Center ($200,000), The 
Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center ($225,000),  
Food for Thought Outreach ($240,000), and Habitat for 
Humanity of Walton County ($150,000 to fully fund the 
building of two new homes for families with children in 

Walton County).  Mental Health Association of Okaloosa 
and Walton Counties Is DCWAF’s newest beneficiary and 
received $10,000 to fund “The Brain Health Initiative” 
geared toward early identification, assessment and 
treatment for students ages 12 to 21 who experience mental 
health or substance abuse issues. Other beneficiaries 
were Opportunity Place ($85,000 for immediate housing 
for homeless children and their families), Pathways for 
Change ($170,000 for comprehensive addiction treatment 
programs including men’s residential treatment and 
operations for the family center), Sacred Heart Hospital 
on the Emerald Coast ($225,000 to fund a 10-bed, Level 
II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), Shelter House of 
Northwest Florida ($170,000 to fund support groups, 
counseling, and advocacy for youth touched by domestic 
violence, and funding and will also support their Youth 
Prevention Program and the Youth Community Action 
Team), The Arc of the Emerald Coast ($200,000 to support 
Early Intervention and Family Education Programs 
at the Early Intervention Center for children living 
with disabilities), and Youth Village ($100,000 to fund 
afterschool programming for low-income children along 
the Emerald Coast). 

With dates announced, the community is already 

gearing up for next year’s Destin Charity Auction weekend 
scheduled for April 27-29, 2018.

story and photos by 

Zhalman Harris

Tracy Conerly & Yvonne Freeman

C

HECK

 P

RESENTATION

   VIP Destin at the Water Color Lake House

62    |    VIPDestinMagazine.com

XX-XX Event WineAuctionCheckPresentation.indd   1

8/27/17   2:07 PM