Fundraiser to Feature Wine, High Spirits

A night of fun and a good cause is in store at the end of the month for parents of Pop Warner football players in Westwood and Dover.

The first fundraiser of its kind for the football group, the Pop Warner Wine Tasting event will be held on Monday, Aug. 29 at , and will include, in addition to the wine tasting, a silent auction featuring VIP tickets to the Boston Red Sox and Celtics, and New England Patriots.

Restaurant gift certificates will also be available, as will a year's membership at and access to programs at the , said Sondra Traister, a member of the Westwood-Dover Pop Warner Board and organizer of fundraising events.

It is the first time such a fundraising event has been held for the Westwood-Dover Pop Warner, Traister said, adding that it should be a welcome change.

"Typically we've had a mandatory fundraising," Traister said. "Obviously people don't like that, so this year we had to raise the registration price, and while we raise the prices, we promised we wouldn't have any mandatory fundraising, but we wanted to have a fun event that would kick off the season that would be appealing. We wanted to do an event that people would want to come to rather than feel compelled they had to do."

The aim, she added, is to help raise funds for the Pop Warner program, specifically for yearly expenses like top-of-the-line helmets and equipement.

"Safety is of the utmost concern," Traister said.

Only 150 tickets are being sold for the event, and can be acquired Monday through Thursday next week at the multi-purpose field at Westwood High School. Tickets can also be bought by contacting Michelle Berluti at mmberluti@aol.com. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the event.

The idea was devised by board member Mike Reardon (not to be confused with Westwood's Deputy Fire Chief), who, according to Traister, is also a wine distributor and is friends with .

The last week approved the outdoor event, which was originally thought to include a tent, though that now might not be the case.

"It's still a big event that's going to be great," Traister said.

The event takes place on Monday, Aug. 29 from 7 to 11 p.m. Parking will be available behind Chiara and through a large portion of the restaurant's parking lot on High Street.