Press Releases 3 RED SOX PLAYERS UNVEIL CHARITY WINE LABELS - MANNY BEING MERLOT TO BENEFIT CHARLEE OVERVIEW Charity Wines and Charity Hop have teamed with Boston Red Sox superstars to raise money for their respective charities. For every bottle sold of these charity wines, $1.25 will be donated to the charity of the player’s choice. Additional proceeds from the sale of this product also benefit the Major League Baseball Players Trust. "We're delighted to be working with Tim, Manny, Curt and their charities," said Andrew Graff, Charity Wines owner and president. "After a 5 day pre-sell we already have commitments from stores and restaurants to purchase over 100,000 bottles. And that's just the beginning." LAUNCH DATE: Late-May/Early-June 2007 Charity wines are expected to be available to the general public across New England at liquor stores, restaurants, hotels and at Fenway Park. ABOUT MANNY BEING MERLOT (presented by Manny Ramirez) Manny Ramirez believes that all children should have a chance to achieve their dreams. By purchasing Manny Being Merlot, you're helping children of Miami, Florida, have the chance at success and reaching their dreams. Donations from sales of Manny Being Merlot benefit CHARLEE Homes for Children. CHARLEE provides therapeutic, residential, and supportive services to abused, abandoned, and neglected children within a safe environment in a community-based continuum of care. For more information or to make a donation please call 305-779-9796 or visit us at www.charleeprogram.org. ABOUT SCHILLING SCHARDONNAY (presented by Curt Schilling) A portion of the proceeds from your purchase of Schilling Schardonnay will be used to support Curt's Pitch for ALS, a program founded by pitcher Curt Schilling and his wife, Shonda. The program benefits The ALS Association, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for those living with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and to support their families while aggressively funding research for a cure. For more information or to make a donation, please call 888-CURE-ALS or visit www.curtspitch.org. ABOUT CABERKNUCKLE (presented by Tim Wakefield) Proceeds from the sale of CaberKnuckle support Pitching In for Kids, a program dedicated to improving the lives of children across the New England region through sports- related events, including the Annual All-Star Celebrity Golf Tournament co-hosted by Tim Wakefield. For more information or to make a donation, please call 617-367-3322 or visit www.pitchinginforkids.org. ABOUT CHARITY WINES After personal tragedies involving friends and family with cancer and heart disease, Andrew Graff and John Corcoran decided to start Charity Wines, a philanthropic division of their Massachusetts based company, VinLozano Imports Inc. With the goal of pairing fine wine with great charities, the Longball Vineyards brand was born. Visit www.CharityWines.com. ABOUT CHARITY HOP Charity Hop was started by adult baseball league teammates, Brett Rudy and Mike Lembo. Recognizing a glaring need for fundraising assistance to sports related organizations and charities, the duo started the full service consulting business in 2006. With a vast array of clients and causes, Charity Hop is already making their impact felt in the Boston philanthropic community. Some of their successes and planned events include: • 100 Innings of Baseball – with Curt Schilling for Curt’s Pitch for ALS. • Throw Across Wakefield – with Tim Wakefield for Wakefield Babe Ruth. • Winterball – with the U.S. Marines for Toys for Tots. • For other charitable events led by Charity Hop, visit: www.charityhop.com. ABOUT THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST The members of the Major League Baseball Players Association created the Players Trust, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, to provide resources of caring to those in need by volunteering in causes close to their hearts and encouraging others to do the same. The foundation became the first of its kind in professional sports established and administered by the players. POSTSECRET AUTHOR TELLS ALL FOR CHARLEE MIAMI – Frank Warren, best-selling author of PostSecret and My Secret, will be in Miami for fundraisers benefiting CHARLEE Homes for Children. Through the support of private individuals and businesses, Warren will read from his latest release - The Secret Lives of Men and Women: a PostSecret Book - on Friday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. at ArtCenter/South Florida (800 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach). The following evening, Saturday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m., the PostSecret exhibition opens with 200 of Warren’s original postcards at Nexus Development Group’s 4 Projects sales center (3814 NE Miami Court, Miami Design District). Both events’ receptions will feature a book signing session with the author as well as cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by Pasha’s. A suggested contribution of $10 is requested for the reading at ArtCenter/South Florida; $15 is requested on opening night at 4 Projects, featuring live music by Xtra Sens. The exhibition is free and open to the public and runs through April 28, Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to CHARLEE Homes for Children, in addition to 20% of PostSecret book sales courtesy of Books & Books (933 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach). CHARLEE is a non-profit organization that helps severely abused and neglected children in the foster care system of Miami-Dade County. For more information please call (305) 779-9600 or visit the website at www.charleeprogram.org. For further details regarding PostSecret and events please call 305-672-4709 or visit the websites at www.postsecret.com, www.artcentersf.org and www.4projectsmiami.com. “CHARLEE is very excited to be a part of such an amazing event”, said Mary Cagle, CEO of CHARLEE Homes for Children. “Rodrigo B. Gonzalez has joined our board and made great strides in getting our name out into the community and helping us to partner with extraordinary people who want to make a difference in children’s lives. We’re thankful to all involved and know this will be a huge success”. From hilarious and poignant expressions of fear, hope, and desire, to shocking confessions of wild affairs and torrid fantasies, PostSecret is a public art project that was spearheaded by Frank Warren in November 2004. He collected handmade postcards from mostly anonymous, average people bearing their most powerful revelations. Rich in authenticity and sincerity, sample messages from The Secret Lives of Men and Women: a PostSecret Book include: • “I’ve been with my wife for 20 years and she doesn’t know who I am.” • “My husband only loves me when he’s drunk.” • "I forced thousands of employees to take a pay cut...so that I can get a pay raise." Since PostSecret began, Warren has received more than 100,000 handmade postcards, which arrive in his mailbox at a rate of approximately 1,000 per week. In light of this phenomenon, a postcard-secret drive will be held in Miami allowing residents and visitors to design and divulge in their own unique ways. Blank postcards will be available for pick-up as of March 19 at the 4 Projects sales center, ArtCenter/South Florida, Books & Books and participating Miami Design District merchant locations. The PostSecret drop-box, located at 4 Projects, will be open for submissions through April 28, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Postcards may be received anonymously or bearing its creators’ identity and contact information, and will be sent directly to Warren for consideration. Please visit his blog at www.postsecret.blogspot.com for additional information. ”We are happy to open our 4 Projects ‘home’ to Frank Warren in support of his innovative project befitting CHARLEE,” says Jeremy Green, Founder and CEO of Nexus Development Group. “Nasir Kassamali (Luminaire) created our space to convey a sense of design and community. Mr. Warren’s PostSecret exhibition is a perfect example of the unique cultural events that our future Design District residents will be able to enjoy frequently.” Frank Warren is a small business owner based in Maryland who started www.postsecret.com. His website was awarded five Bloggies including Weblog of the Year and Best American Weblog at the 2006 Bloggies, the most distinguished weblog awards ceremony. Recently ranked by New York magazine as the third most popular blog on the Internet and by Yahoo as the fifth top blog site of 2006, Warren’s website continues to attract thousands of new viewers and media attention. CHARLEE Homes for Children provides therapeutic, residential, and supportive services to abused, abandoned, and neglected children within a safe environment in a community-based continuum of care. Its goal is to enable each child to reach his or her full potential as a healthy and productive adult. Nexus Development Group’s 4 Projects - CASA, CANVAS, CUBE and COR - are underway in the heart of the Miami Design District, an 18-square-block neighborhood dedicated to art and design. The District is home to shops, restaurants, art galleries, design showrooms, artist lofts and creative businesses. Rich in style and design, 4 Projects will integrate luxury tropical living into this creative urban hotbed with a mix of condominiums and town homes. Nexus is defining a new way of living in South Florida, one that embodies a lifestyle that is bohemian, luxurious, lush and urbane – adding color and contour to city living -- it’s the Blush life. Established in 1984, ArtCenter/South Florida is a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization that provides subsidized studio and exhibition space as well as teaching opportunities for emerging and career artists in their facilities at 800, 810 and 924 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. The mission of the ArtCenter is to advance the knowledge and practice of contemporary visual arts and culture in South Florida while providing affordable programming and work-space for professional artists. The ArtCenter/South Florida is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. For further information please call (305) 674- 8278 or visit the website at www.artcentersf.org. This event has been made possible through the generous support of ArtCenter/South Florida, Books & Books, Rodrigo Gonzalez, HarperCollins Publishers, Izze Sparkling Juice, Nexus Development Group, Pasha’s and The Krane. # # # Nexus Development Group is pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. It encourages and supports an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. *Editor’s Note: PostSecret book cover and postcard images available upon request. CONRAD HOTEL MIAMI AND MIAMI TODAY HONOR CHARLEE Miami, FL - February 16, 2007- CHARLEE , a Foster Care Agency in South Florida for the past twenty-four years and CEO Mary Cagle were honored on Tuesday, February 6th at the “Reflections in Excellence Community Outreach Program” sponsored by Miami Today at the Conrad Miami Hotel. A Special Thank you was expressed by Mary Cagle to Robert Thrailkill, GM of Conrad Hotel Miami and Michael Lewis of Miami Today for their generosity and commitment to rewarding non-profits throughout Miami-Dade County for their hard work and dedication to the community. CHARLEE which stands for Children Have All Rights: Legal, Educational, Emotional is a private not-for-profit 501(c) (3) agency. CHARLEE provides care for severely abused and neglected children in the foster care system of Miami-Dade County. On August 3, 2026 Foster Care was privatized in Miami-Dade County and CHARLEE double the number of children in their care from 500 to 1,000. Each year, CHARLEE helps these children through a continuum of care including residential, therapeutic, adoption and full case management services “Recognition for the hard work that our staff provides our children throughout the year is so important to CHARLEE. Allowing us the forum like the “Reflection in Excellence Outreach Program” to thank our major supporters was an amazing opportunity for” said Mary Cagle. “For both the Conrad Hotel Miami and Miami Today to come forward and reward us for providing the highest quality care and services for the children in our program, and to support our constant efforts to create innovative approaches to address foster care's most significant challenges is incredible”. For more information or to learn more about CHARLEE please call 305-779-9600 or visit us at www.charleeprogram.org. GARDNER’S MARKETS TO HOST 2ND ANNUAL WINE AND FARM FESTIVAL MIAMI, FL. (January 5, 2026) – Gardner’s Markets, one of this community’s most well-known and beloved neighborhood grocers, will host the 2nd annual Wine and Farm Festival on Sunday, Jan. 28 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Evelyn Greer Park, 8200 SW 124th Street, in Pinecrest. Proceeds from the community event will benefit CHARLEE Homes for Children as well as local public schools. Last year the event raised $18,000. “I speak on the behalf of my family when I say we are honored to continue the tradition of the Gardner family by holding the Wine and Farm Festival again,” said Carlos E. Bared, President & CEO of Farm Stores Corp., which purchased Gardner’s Markets in November. “Both Gardner’s Markets and Farm Stores have a strong commitment to giving back to the community. We’re hoping our natural synergy will bring us an even more successful event this year.” Wine lovers and “foodies” alike will enjoy an afternoon of tastings that will range from exotic hors d’oeuvres to a full selection of wines to fabulous desserts. Guests will stroll among more than 20 renowned chefs and restaurants, including Afterglo, Hy Vong, La Cofradia, The Mozzarella Company, Ocean Reef Club, Ortanique, Talula, Tantra, Two Chefs and The River Oyster Bar. The selections of wines from World Wines will come from vineyards from Argentina to California and beyond and, as an additional bonus, will be offered at a special discount during the festival. The goal of this most unique event that experienced incredible success last year is to raise money for local children; to educate the community about farming; and to bring together local chefs, businesses, families and individuals for a fun-filled day in Pinecrest. The event’s “big tomato” sponsor is Coral Gables Mercedes-Benz dealer Bill Ussery Motors, Inc. “We are proud to support the Wine and Farm Festival for so many reasons - not only is it a fantastic event for the community, but proceeds will benefit CHARLEE, a charitable organization that does so much to help hundreds of children a year with certain critical needs,” said Paula Brockway, a principal of Bill Ussery Motors. Each individual who attends The Wine and Farm Festival will be entered into a drawing for a variety of exciting door prizes. Additionally, a 7-night Royal Caribbean cruise to the Mediterranean will be raffled off. Tickets are $20 each or six for $100. All events associated with the festival will take place under an oversized tent. A special highlight of the day will be music by popular band, The 18 Wheelers. NEW FOR THIS YEAR This year’s event will include activities for children at Gardner’s Markets located at 8287 SW 124th Street, just across the street from Evelyn Greer Park in Pinecrest. Children will enjoy a bounce house, face painting, goodies and games. This event is free and open to the public. Also, at Gardner’s Markets, close to 20 area farmers will be selling fresh, locally grown products as part of our annual South Florida Farmer’s Market which takes place every Sunday from January through April from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come and support your local farmers and enjoy South Florida’s natural produce. Wine and Farm Festival tickets are now available online at gardnersmarkets.com or at store locations in Pinecrest, Coconut Grove and South Miami. Guests must be 21 to attend and pets are not allowed. Event tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door, with all proceeds going to charity. Raffle tickets are $20 each or $100 for six tickets. For more information about the festival, call 305-710-7930. Mission: CHARLEE is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution. CHARLEE services abused, abandoned and neglected children, providing a safe environment in a community-based continuum of care with therapeutic, residential and supportive service. For more information log on to: charleeprogram.org. LEGAL SEAFOOD NETS THANKSGIVING FEAST FOR CHARLEE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES Sunrise, FL - November 17, 2025 - Legal Sea Foods, located in the Sawgrass Mills shopping center, will provide an exciting and fun-filled day for hundreds of local foster children, their families and youth in the Independent Living Program of CHARLEE Home’s for Children on Thanksgiving Day. Volunteers at the restaurant are planning an exciting, festive occasion, complete with a D.J. The children and their families will be served a traditional Thanksgiving feast, and each child will receive a gift bag full of party favors and games to take home. The afternoon of delicious food and fun is scheduled on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2006, from noon until 3:00 pm. Approximately 400 guests, comprising foster children, their families and youth from CHARLEEs Independent Living Program will participate. With the help of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and the Miami-Dade Transit Department, transportation to the event is being provided. CHARLEE (Children Have All Rights: Legal, Educational and Emotional) is a private not-for-profit agency that cares for children in Miami-Dade County who have been placed in foster care due to abuse, abandonment and neglect. For the past 24 years, CHARLEE has helped thousands of children in the foster care system begin a new life. With the privatization of the child welfare system in 2005, CHARLEE has doubled in size, providing service to more than 1,000 children in 2006. For more information on CHARLEE, please call 305-779-9697 or visit www.charleeprogram.org. “We are delighted to host these children and their families, and our entire staff is looking forward to it,” said Jeff Ehrlich, General Manager of Legal Sea Foods at Sawgrass Mills. “It is a Legal Sea Foods tradition to be part of our community, and to us, this spirit of giving is what Thanksgiving is all about. We are also very grateful for the support of Sysco and A1A Produce, who are supplying all of the food products for the meals. Everyone, from our chefs, servers, greeters, clean-up crew and many others who are working to create this wonderful experience for the kids, is doing so as a volunteer.” For more than 50 years, Legal Sea Foods has set the standard for quality and freshness in the restaurant industry. Legal Sea Foods operates 30 family-owned restaurants along the East Coast as well as a catering facility, retail fish market, and a mail order business. Legal Sea Foods restaurants in South Florida are located at CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Town Center at Boca Raton, and at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise. For more information, visit www.legalseafoods.com 4TH ANNUAL TAKING CARE OF KID’S GRAND GALA “IS OUT OF THIS WORLD” CORAL GABLES – (October 2006) – On Saturday evening October 14th, more than 350 high-profile guests attended the CHARLEE Homes for Children’s 4th Annual “Taking Care of Kid’s” Grand Gala which celebrated the organization’s strong community impact on the foster care system in Dade County. The evening began with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by dinner and the award presentation for this years Berta Blecke Award to Rita Switchkow and this year’s “Taking Care of Kid’s Award to Paula and Bob Brockway of Bill Ussery Motor’s. The perfect evening was topped off by music from the Steve Chase Band which got everyone off their seats and onto the dance floor. The theme of the evening “To the world you may be one person, but to CHARLEE you are the world” was reiterated through the gorgeous center pieces which included real gum balls, fresh orchids, cut outs of children and blow up globes. “Taking Care of Kid’s’ Grand Gala was hosted by Local 10’s Kristi Krueger, is CHARLEE Homes for Children’s (CHARLEE) premiere fundraiser/gala. Proceeds from the event will benefit CHARLEE and help to continue to care for the over 1,000 children we raise currently. Through sponsorships, table sales, donations and auction items, CHARLEE raised more than $180,000 this year. Some of the auction items included H&H; jewelry, autographed sports memorabilia, a Royal Caribbean seven-day Caribbean cruise, Key Largo Anglers Club vacation getaway, art work by international star Romero Britto, artwork by local artists including Jose Chiu and Marci Grosso, among others. “Thanks to our major sponsors Dade Paper, Gallagher Financial Systems, Bill Ussery Motors, Creative Ideas Advertising, Downrite Engineering, Nancy and Rob Hector, Clint and Marti Flagg, Doug and Peggy Hudson, the March Family, Marian and Marc Milgram, Seitlin Property & Casualty, and all those who attended, we were able to raise the much needed funds to continue helping hundreds of children in our community,” said Mary Cagle, CEO of CHARLEE.. “Without the help of so many generous people we would not be able to continue to provide the proper care each child needs”. CHARLEE (Children Have All Rights: Legal, Educational, Emotional) is a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agency. CHARLEE provides care for severely abused and neglected children in the foster care system of Miami-Dade County. With the privatization of the child welfare system, CHARLEE doubled in size on August 3, 2026 and now cares for over 1,000 children. Each year, CHARLEE helps these children through a continuum of care including residential, therapeutic, adoption and full case management services. CHARLEE’s mission is provide therapeutic, residential, and supportive services to abused, abandoned, and neglected children within a safe environment in a community-based continuum of care. For more information on CHARLEE please call 305-779-9697 or visit us on the web at charleeprogram.org.