Cancer is again on the rise in this country. Almost everyday I hear the stories of parents with young children who have lost a kidney, a leg or an arm to the disease. Everyone has a personal story to tell.  My mother barely survived breast cancer, in the mid 1980s and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year. Her own personal story of cancer and how she survived the disease, and dealt with it, in her own way, is in and of itself a survival story. Today, the American Cancer Society has worked with countless agencies in the United States, from start up non-profit groups to raise more community awareness surrounding the disease to wine companies that have allocated funds to cancer patients directly.  A portion of the sale of each bottle of wine goes directly to a charity in need on many levels. One in 8 women will be affected by breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Foundation. Cancer affects each of us, and does not discriminate towards the afflicted cancer ward patients across this nation.

A brand of wine called One Hope, produced and bottled by Michael Mondavi, in California is one brand of wine that directly donates proceeds from each bottle sale to respective charities and causes. The One Hope wine brand is aptly nicknamed “wines for a cause.”  The conept was crafted by a group of friends living in California who had lost a classmate to cancer in 2007. The group banned together and contacted Michael Mondavi to develop and market a series of wines across the country to raise community awarness for 5 main causes.  Mondavi crafted a soft and lightly oaked chardonnay to benefit breast cancer, the medium and slightly fruit forward merlot was made to benefit the Aids Foundation and a long lingering and spicy Zinfandel made to benefit the military and the crisp citrus bound herbal sauvingnon blanc with proceeds to directly benefit the Arbor Day Foundation. All of the wines retail on average for $9.99 per bottle and a  charitable wristband comes free with every single bottle purchase.  The wines are distributed in Maryland since June of last year and availible at select retail wine and liquor locations.

Local Maryland Resident Comes out of Retirement to Sell Wine and Ready Made Cocktails

When Scott Folkins retired from Proctor and Gamble, he met a group of ladies who wanted to help people in need. The women donate a portion of their profits to local charities. The charity they chose at the time Folkins met them was The Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. in Baltimore as their charity. The name of the wine crafted for this purpose is called Fair Hare Wines, a small boutique winery crafted at Brutaco Vineyards in Hopland, California.  The wines are crafted in 4 easy styles to enjoy and begin with a mildly oaked Chardonnay.  A soft blended Simply Red Wine is comprised of flavors of wild red berries, underscored by peppery spice and cedar. The Simply Red is a blend of three grape varietals, cabernet, merlot and primitivo. The wine also is availible in Zinfandel, a full bodied and spicy wine with flavors of smokey blueberry. The most popular grape varietal of the Fair Hare Wine is a full bodied Cabernet with a rich and long lingering mouthfeel of flavor with smooth berry, soft tannins and light oak.  Scott Folkins initially retired from Practor and Gamble and started a small beverage company, called CWAVE Beverages LLC. CWAVE Beverages makes ready-to-drink cocktails in 1.75 liter plastic pouches.  Today, Caribbean Wave Premium Island Cocktails are made from  authentic recipes crafted from bartenders’ Scott met when he visited the Caribbean. Caribbean Wave Cocktails run promotional programs with retailers where a portion of the proceeds are donated to charity. CWAVE Beverages, LLC. has elected the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. in Baltimore as their Maryland Charity. Caribbean Wave,  Cool Runnin’ Vodka Cocktail is currently ready for sale in Maryland liquor stores, along with a Goombay Punch Rum Cocktail, to release this April. Scott’s Caribbean Wave Premium Island Cocktails, while new to the market, are availible presently in the Ready to Drink Chill and Pour Pouch in Vodka. His Caribbean Wave Rum Punch Bag will be ready for distribution in April of 2012. The Bags will retail for between $15.99 and $17.99 per pouch for a 1.75 ml pouch.

Shortly after Scott released the ready made Caribbean Wave products into the Maryland market, he took his friends’ advice and started to get into the wine business. The idea to pursue non for profit fund raising he credits to some good advice he took from his close friends and Shirley Howard.  The women even designed the Fair Hare Wine label through creative design concepts. These ladies wanted to help people in need. They donate a portion of their profits to local charities. They chose the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. in Baltimore as their charity. Shirley Howard started a non for profit out of home in 1973 for this purpose.

Back in 1973, cancer afflicted children were mainstreamed and kept in the same wards as other sick children. Due to their weakened immune systems, cancer afflicted children were dying quickly, unable to recover from basic fralities, when exposed to sick children with uncomprised immune systems. Some nurses in the 1970s thought that to separate the cancer afflicted children into separate wards’ could help prolong their life and strengthen their immunity.  Scott’s colleague, Shirley Howard, started a non for profit out of home in 1973 to help raise funds to build these early cancer wards for children throughout the country. In her lifetime, Shirley Howard has raised 38 million dollars to build cancer wards for sick children since 1973.

Last year Scott Folkins said Caribbean Wave supported “United Way of Calvert County Mardi Gras Fund Raising Event, and the continued mission of 2012 will be to set aside a portion of company sales  to benefit other charitable organizations.

In closing, I could not help but think what an incredible group of humble human beings, giving back on so many levels and enriching the lives of sick children. Folkins indicated to me more than once, he was blessed with an incredible career and the ability to enjoy this phase of his life and semi-retirement.

End.