Georgia Chapter Of National Multiple Sclerosis Society Hosts Third Annual Harvest for a Cure Event on Oct. 20

For more information:

 Emily Connolly or Morgan Dyches

Melissa Libby & Associates

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morgan@melissalibbypr.com

GEORGIA CHAPTER OF NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY HOSTS

THIRD ANNUAL HARVEST FOR A CURE EVENT ON OCT. 20

Gourmet Food and Wine Gala Unites Discerning Tastes with Giving Hearts

to Benefit MS Research

ATLANTA (August 5, 2016) – On Thursday, Oct. 20, the third annual Harvest for a Cure will take place at Mason Fine Art to benefit the Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, an organization that supports research to help treat and end MS globally. Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors, attendees will experience an extravaganza of gourmet food, vintage wines and a luxury raffle in an effort to reach a goal of $500,000 raised to fund critical research initiatives and advocate for change.

This one-of-a-kind evening features 17 of Atlanta’s most talented chefs and 18 sommeliers and mixologists working together to pair culinary creations with wines from the personal cellars of top local wine collectors. Each food station is paired with a private wine collection, and guests sample delicious food and beverages while surrounded by stunning contemporary art.

 “The great thing about Harvest for a Cure is that it’s an event that people living with MS can actually enjoy,” says John Carlos, president and chief operating officer of National Distributing Company and longtime supporter of the National MS Society. “It’s exciting to see all the chefs and volunteers coming together to help while also creating such an elegant food and wine experience for attendees.”

Carlos, who was diagnosed with MS at the age of 28, and his wife Elaine are both on the board of trustees for the National MS Society and have been involved in Harvest for a Cure since its inception in 2014. Like Carlos, Harvest for a Cure chef chair Gerry Klaskala has a personal connection to the cause: his lifelong friend Mike has struggled with MS since the age of 27.

 “Over the years, Mike’s mobility has diminished little by little,” says Klaskala. “To talk to him, though, you’d think he just won the lottery.  He has that kind of positive attitude. The more I’ve spoken to people about this event, the more I’ve discovered just how many people’s lives are touched by MS. They’ve got a cousin or a friend or a brother who struggles with the disease. My wish is for researchers to find that MS cure in Mike's lifetime.”

Roy A. Rangel, president of the Georgia Chapter of the National MS Society, agrees. “Harvest for a Cure is a celebration of hope that we will soon be a world free of MS. We have made several enhancements to this year’s event, such as a high-end raffle and a digital experience that our guests and supporters are really going to enjoy,” he says. 

In order to reach the half-million goal in fundraising, this year’s Harvest for a Cure features an extravagant raffle. A new digital experience includes a MS Wine Event App, whereby attendees can access event details and raffle item information. Additionally, Alpharetta-based IT company Convergent is providing digital signage throughout the event and at each food station.

Participating chefs and pastry chefs include:

• Gerry Klaskala, Aria
• Kathryn King, Aria
• Chris Grossman, Atlas
• Carla Tomasko, Bacchanalia
• Matthew Basford, Canoe
• Landon Thompson, Cooks & Soldiers
• Todd Ginsberg, The General Muir
• EJ Hodgkinson, King + Duke
• Pano Karatassos, Kyma
• Chris Hall, Local Three
• Derek Dollar, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails
• Jay Swift, Noble Fin
• Ian Winslade, Paces & Vine
• Kevin Rathbun, Rathbun’s
• Matt Swickerath, Valenza
• Zeb Stevenson, Watershed
• Todd Richards, White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails

Sommeliers and Mixologists include:

• Andrés Loaiza, Aria
• Caleb Hopkins, Atlas
• Andrew Harris, Bacchanalia
• Jordan Smelt, Cakes & Ale
• Matt Bradford, Canoe and Canoe’s Cellar Door
• Silvio Garcia, Cherokee Town & Country Club
• Nick Quinones, Cooks & Soldiers
• Eric Crane, Empire Distributors
• Mercedes O’ Brien, Gunshow
• Miles Macquarrie, Kimball House
• Kristine Lassor, National Distributing Company
• Adrianne Keremes, O-Ku
• Perrine Prieur, Perrine’s Wine Shop
• Michael O’Connor, Quality Wine & Spirits
• Linda Torres, The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead
• Sarah Pierre, The Shed and 3 Parks Wine Shop
• Phillip Cooper, Vin25
• Joon Lim, Vine Vault

All funds raised during Harvest for a Cure help improve the lives of people living with MS by sponsoring local programs and services and accelerating worldwide research projects to help put an end to the debilitating disease. Mason Fine Art is located at 415 Plasters Avenue in Atlanta. For additional information, visit www.mswineevent.org.

About Multiple Sclerosis:

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and the body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving closer to a world free of MS. Learn more at nationalmssociety.org.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Georgia Chapter:

The National MS Society helps people affected by MS through a 50-state network of chapters. The Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, and provides programs and services that address challenges of individuals and families living with MS, helping them move forward in their lives. The Georgia Chapter helps improve the lives of people living with MS by raising millions of dollars annually through annual fundraising events including Bike MS, Walk MS and The Harvest for the Cure event. For more information or to learn how to help end the disabling disease of MS, please visit MSgeorgia.org.

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