THE ARC OF ESSEX COUNTY TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL UNCORKED & UNCAPPED: WINE, BEER, AND FOOD FEST

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September 24th Event to Feature Wine, Craft Beer, Spirits, and Restaurant Samplings; Silent Auction; Awards Program; Home Brew Competition; and a Lineup of Local Celebrity Chefs

The Arc of Essex County will host its second annual Uncorked & Uncapped: Wine, Beer, and Food Fest on Thursday, September 24 at the Westminster Hotel in Livingston, NJ. The event will feature a fun-filled evening of fine wine, craft beer, spirits, and restaurant samplings, as well as a silent auction, home brew competition, and awards program. All proceeds will benefit The Arc’s programs and services that help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.

Samplings will be provided by prestigious establishments throughout Northern New Jersey. A lineup of local celebrity chefs such as Michael Carrino, owner of Montclair’s Pig & Prince Restaurant and Gastro-Lounge and winner of Food Network’s CHOPPED, Jesse Jones, chef/owner of Chef Jesse Creations and The Star Ledger’s 2014 New Jersey Top Chef, as well as Cenobio Canalizo, Acting Executive Chef of Strip House and Executive Chef at Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse in New York City who was featured on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate will participate as vendors and/or silent auction contributors.

Participating establishments include BiVi Sicilian Vodka, Climax Brewing Company, Hunterdon Brewing Company, Lithos Restaurant, Magnify Brewing, Mark & Julie’s Homemade Ice Cream, Miss Nicky’s Toffee, New Jersey Beer Company, Nicastro’s Sauces, Pig & Prince Restaurant and Gastro-Lounge, Stone Soup Catering Company, Sixpoint Brewery, Strip House, River Horse Brewery, Verona Inn, Yards Brewing Company, and Weyerbacher Brewing Company. Additional tasting partners will be announced in the coming weeks.

Honoring the partnerships that have been integral to the agency’s success, The Arc of Essex County will present the following awards:

· Corporate Partner Award: Todd Polyniak, CPA, SaxBST

· Public Partner Award: Joseph Tempesta, Jr., Mayor of West Caldwell and Business Administrator of East Hanover

· Community Partner Award: Knights of Columbus: East Hanover, Fairfield, Livingston, Montclair, Short Hills, and Verona

· Lifetime Achievement Award: John O’Brien, Secretary of the Board of Directors for The Arc of Essex County

The evening will conclude with a wine pull, silent auction, and the crowning of the 2015 Uncorked & Uncapped Brew Master. Home brewers can enter up to six beers into the competition - participation is free of charge and registration is available on the event website. During the silent auction, event attendees can bid on a variety of items including a private dinner for four prepared by Chef Jesse Jones, an autographed Devil’s puck and tickets to a 2016 game, and a gift certificate to the Old York Cellars Winery for chocolate and wine tastings, to name a few. Event tickets can be purchased for $100 each through the event website, www.uncorkedanduncapped.com.

“Following the success and popularity of last year’s event, we are excited for Uncorked & Uncapped to return on September 24,” said Heather Comstock, Senior Director of Development and Communication for The Arc of Essex County. “The support and participation from local businesses and the community has been integral to the success of The Arc. Through this event, we are proud to honor those relationships and further our mission of supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.”

The 2015 Uncorked & Uncapped event would not be possible without the generous support from the community and our event sponsors: SaxBST, Connell Foley, PSE&G, Oratory Prep, Bird Pharma Consulting LLC, Primepoint HRMS & Payroll, Benefit Management Solutions, and Secretary of the Board of Directors for The Arc of Essex County, John O’Brien. Partnerships, sponsorships, and home brew competition slots are available; visit www.uncorkedanduncapped.com for more information or contact Nancy Whitman at 973-535-1181 ext. 1225.