More than 70 women from Bentwater joined together at a “Party with a Purpose” to raise funds for Type 1 Diabetes research. Guests brought a bottle or two of alcohol or gift cards for stores or restaurants and enjoyed a fun afternoon sipping wine and champagne and savoring hors d’oeuvres. The organizers then assembled 35 auction packages for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) annual fundraiser in Houston.

The items donated by the Bentwater women raised nearly $10,000 dollars at the “Hope Grows Here” April gala. Examples of the donated items included Whistle Pig bourbon in a fancy decanter that brought in $1,120. A package of five small batch bourbons sold for $704. Two other bourbon packages went for over $500 apiece. All of the alcohol packages did very well, often doubling the value of the cost of the bottles. Scotch, tequila, vodka, and a sparkling package did especially well. A Permian Basin decanter from 1972 brought in $456. Gift cards were also popular, and all went well above value. Two Kuhl-Liscomb gift cards were paired with some household items and brought in $460 and $480 respectively.

The event was hosted by Bentwater residents Pat Wright, Michelle Kubota, Barb Michels, Lynn Guilbault, and Connie Landgraf, all of whom have a child and/or grandchild with Type 1 Diabetes.

“We want to sincerely thank those who so generously donated to a cause very close to our hearts,” said Wright. ”It is so wonderful to have such caring friends and neighbors.  Our children and grandchildren, who live with Type 1 diabetes every day, are deeply touched by the support.”

The Houston gala raised nearly $3 million for JDRF, the leading global organization funding Type 1 Diabetes research.