A sold-out Night Of Us event and some competitive bidding saw three spectacular painted methuselah wine bottles achieve more than $50,000 at auction, for the Hawke’s Bay Foundation. The bottles claimed centrestage, combining premium wine from New Zealand’s best winemakers with the work of three prestigious New Zealand artists: Dick Frizzell, Martin Poppelwell and Freeman White.
Event organisers Kim Thorp and John (Mac) Macpherson, who first envisioned a community fundraising event to benefit Hawke’s Bay Foundation back in 2019, were overwhelmed with the response on the night.
“We were so delighted to see a room full of passionate, generous Hawke’s Bay people come out in support of the event. They were there, of course, to enjoy an evening of top entertainment, food and wine, but they were also very keen to learn about the important work the Foundation does distributing funds to charities and not-for-profits who work so hard within our Hawke’s Bay community.”
Winemaker Rod McDonald and Martin Poppelwell’s partnering presented a methuselah containing Syrah from the 2019 vintage. It achieved the top bid of the night at $17,500.
“Helping the Hawke’s Bay Foundation reach new supporters, raise awareness within the community and add to their fund was the perfect outcome for us,” said Rod. Martin added “I am proud to contribute to the Hawke’s Bay Foundation endowment fund, a great local charitable foundation.”
Hawke’s Bay Foundation Trustee Jules Nowell-Usticke says the event was pivotal in explaining to the audience how the Foundation works – pooling community funds, never spending them, and distributing the annual income.
Now, the Night of Us team is already in the planning stages for a 2022 event – the shape and timing of which is yet to be determined. “Like any first-time event, we’ve taken some learnings from our inaugural Night of Us and can’t wait to bring back this wonderful concept next year,” says Kim.
To keep up to date with The Night of Us, follow: https://www.facebook.com/noushawkebay
