Area residents celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days early at the 12th annual Rural Health Initiative Wine & Cheese Tasting on Feb. 12 at The Main Event in Cecil.
The event is limited to 200 attendees; last year’s event sold out.
This year’s tasting will feature 38 varieties of wines, four local brews and 25-plus kinds of local cheeses. The wine selection will range from fruity to sweet to sparkling, medium to full-bodied, and include both red and white. Pigeon River Brewing will serve its fans’ favorites. Complimentary water and soda also will be available.
The Rural Health Initiative handpicks the cheese selection from eight local distributors. Varieties include classic colby and cheddar, havarti, cupola, American grana, black current wine gouda and many others.
New to this year’s event are quesadilla bites, the Shawano Area Dairy Promotions’ featured item, and a Rural Health Initiative cash raffle. Top prize is $1,000, with 12 other payouts ranging from $50 to $500. The drawing will be held on April 22 at Crystal Falls in New London.
The energetic, social crowd sets this event apart, said Rhonda Strebel, executive director of the Rural Healthcare Initiative.
“Many banquets I attend this time of year have me seated at a table looking at people I know from afar, whereas this event has everyone mingling around, socializing, trying cheese with a glass of wine,” she said. “You might be talking with a business person, a farmer and a doctor all in the same circle; no one notices any differences. It’s just good people out for a good cause.”
The evening also includes an airline ticket giveaway, money tree, wine pull, basket raffle and silent auction featuring local, handcrafted wood gifts.
Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Premier Community Bank in Shawano or online at www.wiruralhealth.org. You can also call the RHI office at 715-524-1488.
Major event sponsors are United Cooperative, Ardex All American Minerals, Green Valley Dairy, Shawano Area Dairy Promotions, Dr. Beth Gillis and Dr. John Mielke.
All of the event’s proceeds to go directly back into the Rural Health Initiative to continue its mission aimed at improving and sustaining the health and safety of farm families.
The Rural Health Initiative delivers complimentary, convenient and confidential “Kitchen Wellness” to local farmers and their families, and agribusinesses. Kitchen Wellness provides on-site preventive health screening, which includes immediate test results for cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
The Rural Health Initiative’s outreach health coordinators are trained health care professionals that can answer questions about health concerns and provide information on diet, exercise and other ways to stay healthy, in addition to many other referral resources within the community.
To learn more about the Rural Health Initiative, visit www.wiruralhealth.org, www.facebook.com/ruralhealthinitiative, Twitter (@rhihealth), or call Strebel at 715-524-1488.
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