A Great Event for a Great Cause

On Friday, April 3rd, the Predators will again hold their very popular wine tasting and silent auction event at the Sommet Center from 6:00 until 10:00. This is a great event on many levels, from the fine wines and other adult beverages and foods to sample, as well as some very interesting and exciting items, events, and travel packages on which attendees can bid. Gerry Helper, President of the Nashville Predators Foundation, and Rebecca Ward, Community Relations Director for the Predators, do an amazing job of securing sponsors that donate fabulous prizes to this event. The proceeds of this event are used by the Predators Foundation to support numerous charitable and community causes in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased on the Nashville Predators website. That night, the Preds are on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks, and the game will be shown in its entirety on the jumbotron. Unfortunately, The View will be in Chicago cheering for the Preds that night, and will miss the event. However, Mrs View is going to carry the banner for the home team by attending the wine tasting. I just hope my credit card can survive.

We hear a great deal in the press, and rightfully so, about the many good causes that are supported through the efforts of the Predators Foundation, and we in Middle Tennessee are blessed to have the Foundation and folks like Gerry and Rebecca that work so diligently for the good of our community. While on the trip this past week, I had an opportunity to talk with Rebecca not only about the work of the Foundation, but of the individual players toward bettering the lives of so many in our area. I will not name any players because they intended for their actions to be private, but Rebecca told me of many players that have, on their own, reached out to those that are less fortunate and have taken a genuine interest in those people to try to improve their lot in life. This was not just a monetary effort, but a giving of themselves as well. I was truly impressed that these athletes have taken such an interest in our community and in the welfare of those that have been dealt a difficult hand by life. As Predator fans, we cheer their exploits on the ice and marvel at their athletic prowess. As citizens of this great community, we can cheer their real interest and involvement in making this an even better place to live and work. The View expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the very visible efforts of the Predators Foundation and to Gerry, Rebecca, and all the people that make it work. He is thankful for the Predators organization that has fostered a culture of giving. And he is impressed and moved by the athletes that see beyond themselves and the game they love to extend a hand to those that need lifting.

I encourage you to come out to the Wine Tasting on April 3rd, not for just a good time, but for what it enables the Foundation to do for others in our community. If you need additional information, contact Rebecca Ward at 770-2321.