Inaugural Orlando Magic Wine Festival and Auction Blends Basketball with Bordeaux

Magic is one of the first sports teams to host a weekend of wine to benefit the team’s foundation


Orlando, Florida, Jan. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What do you get when you mix the Orlando Magic and Merlot? 


Magic CEO Alex Martins announces the inaugural Orlando Magic Wine Festival and Auction benefiting the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF). 

The soon-to-be, signature fundraiser for the OMYF will make its debut in March 2019. With the wine auction set to debut, the OMYF Black Tie and Tennies Gala will hang up the tennies after a 28-year run with the final Gala on March 17, 2018.   

“The Orlando Magic are thrilled to offer this unique and memorable experience,” said Magic CEO Alex Martins. “The best part is this amazing weekend will raise money for the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation to continue to assist underserved Central Florida youth and families. We have no doubt this will be our best fundraiser yet while creating lasting memories.”

The fundraising weekend will include a wine festival, auctions and culminate with an Orlando Magic game. The weekend of events to feature exclusive vintner dinners, an outdoor festival featuring live music, live auction displays, local and celebrity chefs, wineries, and food pavilions, along with Magic players and coaches. Following the weekend, each guest will receive an invitation to the OMYF grant ceremony, where all funds from the Magic Wine Festival and Auction will be distributed to local nonprofit organizations.

“This is a great way to raise funds for the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation,” said Magic Chairman Dan DeVos. “My family and I are so excited to be a part of the OMYF and play a role in the difference that we’ve been able to make in the lives of so many children in Central Florida. The Magic Wine Festival and Auction offers a perfect opportunity to have an even larger impact for so many in Orlando. We look forward to March 2019.” 

The Orlando Magic and the DeVos family are committed to making a difference in Central Florida. Each year, the Magic gives more than $2 million to Central Florida by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. At the heart of the Magic’s charitable efforts is the work done by the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. 

The OMYF is committed to helping children in Central Florida realize their full potential, especially those most at-risk, by supporting nonprofit organizations offering youth based programs in the areas of education, housing/homelessness, and health programs focused on preventing childhood obesity. 

Over the last 27 years more than $22 million has been distributed to local nonprofit community organizations through the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. The DeVos family’s investment in the OMYF covers all administrative costs which allows for 100 percent of all donations to go directly to the foundation to benefit children and families in need throughout Central Florida each year. The OMYF raises community dollars annually through donations, auctions and events such as the Black Tie and Tennies Gala, the OMYF Open Golf Tournament, and the upcoming 2019 OMYF Wine Festival and Auction.  

ABOUT THE ORLANDO MAGIC

Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $22 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 27 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s newly acquired NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, which begins play in the 2017-18 season in nearby Lakeland, Fla.; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL; and will compete in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K esports league in 2018. Ticket highlights for the Magic's 2017-18 season in the award-winning Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to www.orlandomagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b8ee6519-0578-40a0-9fe5-4f7670951cda

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3573596-108d-473e-94fb-2e45ea84d553


            
Magic Wine Festival and Auction

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