Heads or Tails, Everyone Wins at Salve Wine Tasting & Auction

Vision of Mercy Scholarship Recipient, Fae Stone ‘11 selling blinky

buttons

Call Newport Seen naughty, but one of the most entertaining games on the Newport party scene is the coin toss at the biannual Salve Regina Wine Tasting & Auction. It works like this: Anyone who has purchased a blinky light is requested to stand at the beginning of the live auction, and the auctioneer – in this case, the dapper, entertaining Sal Corio, flips a coin after instructing participants to put their hands on either their heads, or on their tails (ahem!). Those who guess correctly are allowed to stay standing until it comes down to the bitter end. This year there were three finalists left standing. But alas, two guessed incorrectly. The winner, Diane Beaver, promptly donated one-half of the $500 prize back to the scholarship fund of the University, which is what the deliciously Lucullan event is all about.

This year's soiree, held one day before Britain's Royal Wedding, featured Salve's Kate Brezina, '01, Associate Director of Alumni/Parent Programs, dressed as Kate Middleton, flashing a replica of the engagement ring of Lady Diana, given by Prince William to Kate, and donated for the auction by Newport's Platinum House (it fetched $1,800.)

Newport Storm offering its selection of beers

In the three color-coded silent auction rooms, the bidding on a vast array of live auction items was quite competitive, with furtive visits by bidders back to the sheets to see if people had topped their bids, sipping wines from the participating vineyards and being sustained by passed hors d'oeuvres.

Seen at the 4th biannual auction were throngs of Newporters who support the University: Len Panaggio, wine expert and former Corporate Beverage Director of the Newport Harbor Corporation, who acted a liaison with the participating wineries, checked details of the serving table. before leaving for an NCCVB dinner. President of the University Sister Jane Gerety and Vice President, University Relations & Advancement Michael Semenza greeted guests, while Catherine Mureddu, Assistant Director of Development For Fundraising Events, saw that all flowed smoothly.

High yielding live auction items included a trip to France, donated by World Cultural Tours, which brought $3,400, a magnificent painting, " The Playfellows" by Alfred A. Brunel de Neuville (1852 -1941), donated by Roger King Fine Art, which sold for $2000, and a sail on the USA 76 12 meter yacht used by the BMW Oracle Racing team to compete in the 32nd America's Cup. in San Francisco Bay, which was donated by Elizabeth Murphy, and sold for $1,600.

Kate Brezina showing off a replica of the other

Kate's ring to Kristine Hendrickson

Seen were former Rhode Island state police chief Brendan Doherty and his wife Michele, Matt Parent of Vanderbilt Grace, Angel Gonzalez of Platinum House, Cheryl Mrozowski, Committee Chair and Trustee, Diane Beaver, Laurie Stefanik, Mike and Allison Anderson '79, Ned O'Donnell, J.R. Beretta, Clare Sullivan, Christine Lalli, Richard Nelson and literally hordes of others! Brendan Doherty confided to Newport Seen that he was thinking of running for Congress.

The auctions brought in well over than $60,000 for student scholarships featuring the Vision of Mercy Endowed Scholarship. For information on giving, call 1-877-SRU-GIFT, or go to www.Salve.edu

-- L.P.