Phil Castle, The Business Times

An annual fund-raiser is scheduled to return to Grand Junction in April, offering a wine time for a good cause.

“It’s all about giving back,” said Stephanie Plieness, public relations chairman for the Junior Service League.

The nonprofit service organization of women has scheduled Viva El Vino for 6 to 9 p.m. April 30 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 743 Horizon Drive.

General admission tickets sell for $95. VIP tickets sell for $150 and include early admission to the event and early access to a silent auction, a VIP food menu and an entry into a drawing for a two-night stay at the DoubleTree the weekend of the event. Sponsorships also are available at a variety of levels.

Plieness said Viva El Vino will showcase a variety of Grand Valley wines, but also will offer other liquors and spirits. A beer garden will serve local beers. The event will be spread out through several rooms and outdoor areas at the hotel. 

The Junior Service League has long hosted Viva El Vino as its signature fund-raiser, Plieness said. The organization conducted the first event in 1988, five years after the group was established in Grand Junction.

The Junior Service League offers a way for its members to network, but also give back to the community through volunteering and grants, she said. Over the years, the group has donated 750,000 hours of community service and awarded $1.1 million in grants to nonprofit groups in Mesa County.

In December, the Junior Service League awarded a total of $111,000 in grants to 22 local nonprofit organizations. Two large grants worth a total of $71,000 were awarded to Community Hospital and SCL Health St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center to help fund efforts to diagnose and treat breast cancer.

For more information and tickets to the Junior Service League Viva El Vino benefit event, visit https://jslgj.com/viva-el-vino.