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ERfC to hold wine, beer tasting
fundraiser along with celebrating
20th anniversary
Posted: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 9:27 am
By Journal Inquirer Staff | 0 comments
ENFIELD — Educational Resources for Children Inc. will hold its second annual wine and beer
tasting event — along with its 20th anniversary celebration — on Friday, April 11, at the Holiday
Inn.
Event co-chairs Heidi DeLisle and Judy Apruzzese-Desroches said there will be many silent
auction surprises this year, including authentically signed and framed items from pop singer
Katy Perry, the movie “Despicable Me,” and hockey great Wayne Gretzky, according to a news
release.
“We have an incredible opportunity to match an anonymous $10,000 gift with the dollars raised
at this event and we are reaching out to the community for their support,” said ApruzzeseDesroches, who is a former member of the Board of Education and an ERfC Board advisor.
Tickets to the event, which cost $50 per person, are still available through ERfC’s website
www.erfc.us
by clicking on the link for “wine and beer tasting” under “upcoming events” or at its office at 50
Post Office Road. For more information, call 860-253-9935.
DeLisle said that for the auction, autographed items, complete with a certificate of authenticity,
will include framed sheet music of Perry’s hit song “Firework”; a framed and autographed picture
of Gretzky; and framed animation art from the animated film “Despicable Me,” autographed by
Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher.
In addition, items have been donated from USA Hockey, including a signed hockey puck from
2014 Sochi Olympian and Connecticut native Max Pacioretty and Sochi silver medalist Kacey
Bellamy from Westfield, Mass.
In addition, donated auction items from ERfC supporters will include Red Sox vs. Chicago Cubs
tickets for July 2 and Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles tickets for Sept. 8.
According to DeLisle, the silent auction includes many favorites, including dinner with Mayor
Scott R. Kaupin, popular Jarmoc Farms cigars, and many gift certificates and gift cards, a threehour limousine ride, rounds of golf, theater and concert tickets, and an overnight stay at
Foxwoods Resort Casino.
The annual fundraising event will benefit the ERfC scholarship fund. ERfC provides out-ofschool time activities for children in kindergarten through Grade 8. Last year ERfC subsidized
82 percent of the children enrolled. DeLisle, also a member of the ERfC board of directors, said
this year, with funding cuts that percent was reduced to 65 percent.
“We have over 100 children on a waiting list this school year and are anticipating a need to
subsidize over 68 percent of children in our Summer Escape camp,” DeLisle said. “We want all
Enfield kids to get an opportunity to participate regardless of family economics.”
Apruzzese-Desroches said that the $10,000 challenge is an opportunity to provide academic,
enrichment and recreational activities to help more Enfield kids succeed in school.”
She is urging Enfield residents and businesses to “buy a couple of tickets and join us for a great
evening to support Enfield kids.”
Kaupin, who will serve as master of ceremonies for the event, praised ERfC, saying that it is “a
tremendous community partner with Enfield. The services and programming provided by ERfC
results in positive youth development in our children, keeps kids safe both before and after
school, and allows for families to be productively employed. Their commitment to our community
is second to none.”
The keynote speaker for the event will be Enfield native Paula Apruzzese Long, a 1979
graduate of Fermi High School who is Apruzzese-Desroches’ sister.
Long has been delivering game-changing, high-tech innovations for over 30 years. She cofounded EqualLogic, which was acquired by Dell in 2008 for $1.4 billion — the biggest buyout of
a private tech company at the time. Long is now a founder and CEO of DataGravity, a company
located in New Hampshire that’s described as being “currently in stealth mode startup.’
Apruzzese-Desroches said that her sister will share her road to success with those who attend
the event.
Joe’s Fine Wine & Spirits from East Windsor is providing the wine and beer for the event. There
will be a selection of appetizers, fresh-baked desserts, and beverages available throughout the
evening. Live entertainment will be provided by cellist Alan Ballinger and violinist Dana Lyons,
members of the Garnet String Trio, and jazz pianist Jim Markey, formerly of the band Quaver.
ERfC is a community-based, nonprofit organization that has been providing out-of-school time
activities for the Enfield community since 1994. ERfC serves over 400 Enfield children and
families in a variety of programs.
ERfC School-Age Centers provide before and after school activities for six elementary schools
and JFK Middle School. Additional programs include Summer Escape, a six-week summer
camp program; Vacation Destination, open when school is closed on non-federal holidays; KidZ
Sports, a health and instructional skill building program; Summer Lunch Bunch, a free nineweek program that provides summer lunches for children and parents; and Tonight in
Thompsonville, a monthly school-year program that provides a free family dinner and
educational programming in collaboration with community businesses, organizations, and local
service providers.
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