Everyone enjoyed the silent auction, with lucky attendees winning one or more of the 17 prizes donated by local businesses.
It just keeps getting better. The NFXF Western Massachusetts Chapter’s eighth annual Cork and Café Fundraiser, held 5–7 PM, October 14, 2018, at the Esselon Café in Hadley, Massachusetts, was an evening of wine tasting, appetizers, a silent auction, and for the non-wine drinkers, hand-roasted coffees.
It took seven tables to house the more than 60 wines on hand. Four Seasons Wine and Liquor, also in Hadley, generously set up the evening’s program, including organizing the wine distributors who provided a unique assortment of wines from around the world. Esselon Café also closed early and provided staff to help throughout the evening.
Cheese, crackers, and other appetizers rounded out the evening’s menu for 55 guests who paid $30 each for a fun event and of course to help raise funds toward hosting opportunities for local Fragile X families to learn, share, and support each other, and to provide scholarships for the national annual Fragile X Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, local conferences, and the NFXF International Fragile X Conference.
Special Thanks
Very special thanks goes to:
- Owner Mark Krause and Jennifer from Esselon Café, who were very generous with the space and their staff.
- Owner Sean Barry and Sharon from Four Seasons Wine & Liquor, who put the program together and organized the distributors to select and pour the wine for our guests.
- Kris and Marie for helping with set up.
- Kelley Devine for photography.
- Casey for clean up.
About This Chapter
NFXF Western Massachusetts Chapter
Northeast Region
Hadley, Massachusetts
413-584-1859 | WesternMA@fragilex.org
The Western Mass Fragile X group started in 1997 as a parent support group and has evolved through many changes at the NFXF. My husband Gerry and I formed this parent support group because we only had support from other parents that were over two hours away; with our young family it was difficult to spend a whole day away from our children. We support our families with a picnic early summer for all and a wine tasting fundraiser for parents to enjoy. We share information about conferences, information sent by the NFXF, and other local supports for families with children with disabilities. We participate in National Fragile X Advocacy Day yearly, research studies in many capacities, and our daughter Kelley is a leader in the Sibling and Self-Advocate Community Support Group.
—Denise Devine, NFXF Western Massachusetts Chapter Leader
