Presented by the Adler Group and Dream Big, the fifth annual Enduring Hearts Bourbon Gala & Auction was the national nonprofit’s most successful fundraiser to date.
Thanks to the generous contributions of 450 attendees at the Foundry at Puritan Mill, the event brought in more than $1.2 million, nearly three times the amount raised in 2019. Enduring Hearts is dedicated to funding research that helps juvenile heart transplant recipients live longer, healthier lives. Cheryl Preheim, 11 Alive anchor and mom to a son with a congenital heart defect, served as the emcee, and auctioneer Dean Crownover encouraged attendees to bid generously. Some of the stand-out auction items included two reserve barrels of bourbon from Pappy Van Winkle; a trip for five to the Buffalo Trace Distillery, complete with transportation aboard a private jet; and the Audi Dream Driving Experience, in which the winner will zip around in a different Audi each month for a year. One poignant moment included remarks from Kelley and Jeremy Gray, parents of 9-year-old heart transplant recipient Everett, who was on-hand to say hello to the generous donors.
Photos: Haley Salvador and Brett Tighe
