The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s fourth annual Galentine’s Day Fundraiser generated a record-breaking $106,000 to support young women and girls across Northwest Florida through various support programs.
The February 1 gathering, hosted by DCWAF trustee Candis Wilson and board members Tiffany Edwards, Jeanne Dailey, and Lane Redding, brought together influential women from the community. Comedian Stacy Pederson delivered the keynote address at the event, which featured exclusively female-owned and operated businesses and vendors.
The funds will be distributed to support the following initiatives:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast will run a 10-week small group program focusing on health, fitness, prevention, education, and self-esteem enhancement. The program will serve 200 girls and provide STEM-based field trips for about 60 girls across nine Club sites.
- Caring & Sharing of South Walton will provide complete hygiene kits containing toothbrushes, deodorant, tampons, and cleaning wipes for approximately 225 girls ages 10-18 who are experiencing body changes without adequate resources.
- Children in Crisis, Inc. will host a Once in a Blue Moon Gala for girls at the Children’s Neighborhood, offering them a special evening focused on self-worth and affirmation.
- Children’s Volunteer Health Network will implement the Smiles for the Future program, designed to educate roughly 400 young girls about dental hygiene while building self-care habits and confidence through mother-daughter bonding activities.
- Emerald Coast Autism Center will conduct a 12-week program offering small group training classes covering female-specific topics, from hygiene habits for younger students to workplace self-advocacy for Transition to Work students.
- Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center will provide clothing and gift cards to young girls following sexual assault exams, helping victims create new memories and regain control over their lives.
- Habitat for Humanity of Walton County’s Women Build Initiatives will reach over 250 women and girls through their Hard Hats and High Heels Luncheon, power tool training, construction classes, and onsite skill training.
- Point Washington Medical Clinic will support their Young Women’s Health and Hygiene Initiative, providing pathology for PAP smears, additional testing, HPV vaccinations, and feminine hygiene products for girls under 18.
- Westonwood Ranch will provide a year of Equine Assisted Therapy to young girls with developmental differences, focusing on building empathy, self-discipline, impulse control, and trusting relationships.
Youth Village will organize a two-week Galentine’s Camp for 12 girls ages 8-12, partnering with HSU Educational Foundation for STEM-focused project-based learning, culminating in a field trip to the HSU STEM Range.
