Gary’s Garden Center and the Oconee Cellar are proud to announce the inaugural Taste of the Holidays Wine & Food Tasting event to be held Friday, Nov. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Gary’s Garden Center.  All proceeds from the event will benefit Saint Joseph’s East Georgia hospital.    

The tasting will feature wonderful cuisine from local restaurants which will be expertly paired with 75 wines from the Oconee Cellar and elegantly presented in the spacious greenhouse of the Garden Center.  In addition, patrons will be able to enjoy live music provided by the J. Mob Jazz Band and participate in a door prize raffle at the close of the event.   

“We are gathering as a community during the holiday season to raise money for new equipment needed today in our existing hospital and as we continue to look forward to a future filled with promise and hope,” said John Hoffner, Saint Joseph’s East Georgia Board Member and Chair of the Development Council, “We are most grateful to all our donors and sponsors for their generous support in helping to make possible the dream of bringing higher-quality health care to the many communities of our beautiful Lake Oconee area.”  

“Saint Joseph’s is committed to providing state-of-the-art resources for its patients, along with the highest standards of compassionate care and these funds will help us continue to do that,” adds Mike Huff, Saint Joseph’s East Georgia President. “That is the premise on which Saint Joseph’s Health System was built, and which makes its health services the best in the Southeast and among the best in the country.”

Tickets for the event are $35 per person and must be purchased in advance by calling (706) 454-2043 or (706) 453-0420, on-site at Gary’s and the Oconee Cellar, or by visiting the website at www.saintjosephseast.org/winetasting.