Wine-tasting benefit nets $2,700 for Riley Hospital

Amid dim lights and soft jazz at Tutto Bene, more than 200 people gathered to sample wine and, in turn, benefit Riley Hospital for Children of Indianapolis. The inaugural wine-tasting event held Thursday night was co-sponsored by the collegiate honor society, Mortar Board and IU Student Association Student Rights to raise money to buy toys for the patients at Riley. \n"With the holidays coming up, we decided we wanted to raise money to purchase toys that we could take to the children," said senior Nathan Heber, president of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society at IU.\nGuests were asked to donate a minimum of $15 and in total, about $2,700 was raised. \nUpon entry to Tutto Bene, each person of legal drinking age was given a ticket that could be redeemed for a full glass of wine from the bar. In a separate room, one of Tutto Bene's wine experts offered wine samples and tips on how best to enjoy each wine's flavor. \nA variety of fine wines were offered, ranging from white, red and blush, and included Pinot, Chianti, Merlot and an organic sparkling Spanish wine. A connoisseur informed tasters of each bottle's history and the importance of taking in a wine's aroma to fully enjoy its flavor.\nLocal businesses paid for the wines, along with a wide variety of desserts, Heber said. \nAlthough the weather was poor, it didn't put a damper on attendance. Senior Laura Maul attended the event with a friend and said she had a great time talking and catching up. \n"I could stay for the whole night," she said. \nMortar Board began planning the benefit in late August when IUSA Student Rights joined in to help organize and fund the event. With three weeks until the event, IUSA Student Rights offered to co-sponsor the event as a part of its effort to benefit charity.\nAlthough the benefit was not heavily advertised through fliers or media, both Mortar Board and IUSA Student Rights sent out e-mail to their staffs, friends and greek organizations to spread the word. \n"I sent e-mails to our friends and personal contacts with the deans, and we just started it that way," said senior Jeremy Strife, IUSA Student Rights director. "A lot of people I spoke with, who I didn't think were coming tonight, said they got an e-mail. That just tells you the power of Riley." \nOrganizers said the wine-tasting benefit, which they hope to make an annual occurrence, was a huge success in raising money to purchase toys for the Riley patients.