From Wine to Whodunit: Local Events Raise Money for Community Programs

Two local organizations are adding a little fun to fundraising this fall, with events featuring wine, dinner, auctions, and even a murder mystery—all while supporting programs that help people in the Front Royal and Warren County community.

Susan Hrbek shares details about upcoming events supporting the Phoenix Project and Cars Changing Lives, two local organizations she is actively involved with.

First on the calendar is the Cars Changing Lives “Stolen Key Society” mystery dinner on Sept. 24 at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club. That will be followed by the Phoenix Project’s 11th annual Wine Pull on Oct. 1, also at the golf club.

For the Phoenix Project, the Wine Pull has become a familiar annual tradition.

“This is our 11th year,” Hrbek said. “We’re looking forward to a very nice crowd.”

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased through the Phoenix Project website or at the organization’s office.

Despite the name, there is no pool filled with wine — and no grape stomping.

Instead, guests select a numbered cork from a container. The number matches a bottle of wine that the guest gets to take home. The surprise is that participants do not know which bottle they will receive until they draw their cork.

Some bottles may also come with additional gifts or wine-tasting opportunities. Beer will be available as an alternative for some participants.

“You just don’t know,” Hrbek said. “It’s a surprise. That’s what it’s all about.”

The evening will offer more than the Wine Pull. Guests can expect dinner, music, raffles, and a silent auction. The event will also give attendees an opportunity to learn more about the Phoenix Project and the services it provides.

The Front Royal organization works with people affected by domestic and sexual violence. Hrbek said its staff includes advocates working with children and parents, court matters and sexual abuse, among other services.

She stressed that help is available to both women and men.

The organization also works with young people, including educational outreach in local schools.

Hrbek said the Phoenix Project has a 24-hour hotline for people seeking help. The organization also recognizes the importance of online privacy for those who may be searching for assistance while living with a controlling or abusive partner.

The Phoenix Project has another community event planned for Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m., when the film “Preventable” is expected to be shown at Front Royal United Methodist Church. Hrbek said a Zoom option is also planned for people who cannot attend in person, with more information expected closer to the event.

Hrbek also used the interview to highlight another organization she works with: Cars Changing Lives.

The program, started by Bill and Sandy Long of the Auto Care Clinic, helps provide vehicles to people who need reliable transportation.

Hrbek said the program has given away more than 90 vehicles and is now working toward its 100th car.

The organization accepts donated vehicles, including some that are no longer running. Vehicles that can be repaired may be prepared for a recipient. Those that cannot be repaired can be salvaged, with the proceeds going back into the program to help with other vehicles.

For recipients, having a vehicle can mean much more than simply getting from one place to another.

“I know, and it opens up the world so much for not only the single mother or single father, but for the kids,” Hrbek said.

Reliable transportation can help families get to work and school and allow children to participate in sports and other activities that might otherwise be difficult to reach.

Getting a vehicle requires an application and screening process. Hrbek said applicants need a sponsor, such as a minister or social worker, and must be able to maintain the vehicle, including having a driver’s license and covering expenses such as insurance and fuel.

Cars are also matched to recipients based on their circumstances. A small vehicle, for example, may not work for a family with several children.

Cars Changing Lives will bring supporters together Sept. 24 for its “Stolen Key Society” fundraiser at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club.

The event grew from the board’s search for something more entertaining than a traditional fundraising dinner.

The result was a locally created mystery theater production centered, appropriately, around an automotive setting.

“We wrote this play, ‘Stolen Key Society,’” Hrbek said.

The evening will combine the mystery performance with dinner and give guests a chance to figure out who is responsible for the crime. Hrbek said there will even be a surprise guest, though she did not reveal the identity.

Tables will have a chance to make guesses as the mystery unfolds.

The event will also include silent and live auctions, along with other fundraising activities. Tom Eshelman is expected to handle the live auction.

Dinner tickets are $100 and can be purchased online.

For Hrbek, the two events are different in style but share a common purpose: supporting local organizations that provide practical help to people who need it.

And staying involved in those organizations keeps her busy.

“I’m keeping very busy, and that’s what I like,” she said.

Town Talk, sponsored by National Media Services, Inc., is a Royal Examiner series that introduces you to local entrepreneurs, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and public officials who help shape Warren County. Conversations cover a wide range of topics about our community and the people making a difference.