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Bourbon Charity Auction: Making a Difference, One Bottle at a Time

By: Beau Farrell on Nov 8, 2022 12:00:00 PM

As your local “spiritual” adviser since 1934, we have supplied the Twin Cities with the finest wine, spirits, and beer throughout history. With this deeply rooted history comes the desire to give back whenever we can to our communities and those making a difference for so many people.

For the second year in a row, we’ve held a charity auction where members of the Haskell's Bacchus Society loyalty program have the exclusive opportunity to bid on hard-to-find bottles of bourbon. From this auction, we’re able to donate all of the proceeds to those in our community doing the work.

How We Made It Happen

Our auction was such a hit with Members last year that we decided to do it again! We curated a selection of the most sought-after bottles, put each up for digital auction, and opened it up to our Bacchus Society members for bidding. What better way to collect a unique spirit than to have all the proceeds go to charity?

Last year, we were ecstatic to have raised $6,000 with the help of our Members ($1,000 more than we anticipated). We weren’t sure what to expect this time around but were hoping to be able to come close or at least match the donations from our 2021 auction. We’re thrilled to say that once again, we were able to raise another $6,000 for local charities with the help of some amazing bidders.

Where It Went

The money raised went to six local charities in the surrounding areas of our 12 Haskell's store locations. We wanted to make sure that this money was going to help the communities in need and support the teams that are leading the pack in service to others. Here’s where the auction proceeds were delivered:

Valley Outreach (Stillwater) - Valley Outreach’s mission is to help people move their lives forward through basic needs services and personalized support. Through its food shelf, clothing program, and client support services, Valley Outreach brings great help to community members in need and is the only nonprofit in the St. Croix Valley/Stillwater area.
CROSS Services (Rogers) - CROSS assists local families and individuals in need, with an emphasis on ending hunger through access to healthy food. Their mission is to provide aid to those in their community who are seeking help by providing compassionate and supportive services and programs.
White Bear Area Food Shelf (White Bear Lake) - White Bear Area Food Shelf provides food and support to those experiencing an emergency or financial difficulty that limits their ability to purchase food. For every $1, White Bear Food Shelf can provide $8 worth of food to neighbors in need.
Division of Indian Work (Minneapolis) - The Division of Indian Work supports and strengthens urban American Indians through culturally-based education, traditional healing approaches, and leadership development. They do this by focusing on community and delivering programs and services directly or in partnership with other organizations.
Community Action Center (Faribault) - “Neighbors helping neighbors” is what Community Action Center lives by. Their mission is to promote a healthy, caring, and just community for all people through resources, advocacy, and volunteer effort.
Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners (Plymouth) - Interfaith Outreach’s goal is to build a vibrant community where everyone counts and all sectors and systems work together for the good of all. Supporting their community by meeting basic needs and equipping individuals and families for ongoing stability is their mission.

What You Can Do

Kudos to our shoppers, suppliers, and loyal Bacchus Society members for making this possible, and an even bigger thank you to the six organizations listed above and the many, many more for combating hunger, poverty, and injustice in the Twin Cities every day. If you weren’t able to participate in this year’s auction but feel inspired to give back, find your local food bank and donate your time or money to help those in need! And if you want to bid in future auctions, be sure to join Haskell’s Bacchus Society to stay in the loop and be part of our community making a difference, one bottle at a time.