It’s time again for the annual Sip n’ Savour event.
Now in its third year, Sip n’ Savour is a fundraising event supporting Lacombe Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). Jan Pocock, FCSS Volunteer and Community Services Coordinator, said that the evening provides a great outing for the benefit of a great cause.
“It’s such a fun night,” said Pocock. “Everyone comes in excited and all dressed up. It’s just a really fun night. It’s pure fun for a good cause.”
Sip n’ Savour is the only major fundraiser done by FCSS that covers the entire organization as a whole.
As such, it benefits everyone and anyone who accesses services provided by FCSS.
Aptly named, Sip n’ Savour is an evening of wine tasting with wines provided by Chateau Wine & Spirits and delicious morsels provided by Cilantro & Chive.
There will also be raffles, a silent auction, and an opportunity for participants to enter a ‘Purse of the Month’ draw where they will get a chance to win 12 different purses over the year.
“Every year it get a little bit bigger and a little bit better,” said Pocock of the event.
Sip n’ Savour came about when FCSS decided it needed a fundraiser to garner just a little extra cash to support its programs, said Pocock.
She added that part of the reason for this was that some of the programs don’t get all the support they need.
“Everybody recognizes Tools for School, everybody recognizes Coats for Kids,” said Pocock. “But some of our other programs don’t get quite that recognition. So it’s nice to have a fundraiser that will support all of our programs and that all of our programs have equal access to.”
Pocock said that FCSS chose to do a wine tasting as its fundraiser not just to support itself, but also to provide the community with a fun night out.
“We wanted a classy, informal night where people could get together and mingle and talk about the great works that we do, but still be fun. It’s a great date night, it’s a great girls’ night, it’s a lot of fun.”
Because the event is so much fun, it has always been successful, said Pocock.
She added people always want to come back next year after attending the event.
“Anybody who’s been loves it.”
All of the money raised in the event goes to support FCSS and its programs. These include the Connex bus program, Parent Link and Meals on Wheels, just to name a few.
It is also worth noting that, to make these programs more accessible to the public, FCSS often offers them at cost or free to the public. Just another reason why the Sip n’ Savour fundraiser is so important.
“That’s the whole idea of social services is to support everybody.”
As FCSS is such a broad organization, it is sometimes difficult to explain what exactly the group does, said Pocock.
“It’s social services across the board,” said Pocock. “From infants to seniors.”
The third annual FCSS Sip n’ Savour fundraiser takes place Oct. 18 from 7-10 p.m. at the Lacombe Memorial Centre (LMC) or at Chateau Wines & Spirits.
Tickets are $50 each and are available for purchase at the FCSS Office upstairs in the LMC. There are only 200 tickets available.