We're getting closer to the Bid is Right, our 2024 auction, with a game show spin! This year's event will be held on Saturday, September 28th, so mark your calendars!

Eva, Director of Operations, and the new van are a match made in heaven. She works tirelessly to care for our residents and programs. Whether she is wearing her personal chauffeur, handywoman, or director hat Eva strives to provide exceptional care for the well-being of our residents. The van has allowed her to excel further with these aspirations. ​

If you've been to any of DAHLIA Living's annual auctions, you know that they're not just a good time, but that they help keep our programs running and our residents thriving.

It would be an understatement to say that last year brought a lot of challenges! The COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside-down, and as a result, it changed procedures and protocols for all of DAHLIA Living.

Board member Athena Kennedy & I took a road trip to bring you the chance to win a spectacular wine tasting experience. By Wendy Peloquin, Board President

If you have been to a DAHLIA auction in the past several years, you know that our wine grab has been sponsored by Kiona Vineyards, but you probably don’t know the history behind how that came to be.

First, without an in-person auction event, we didn’t need wine for a wine grab. We were looking for items we could sell and we were also placing an emphasis on more “experience” type items. I decided it would be fun to try to put together a Red Mountain experience featuring Kiona and several of the other amazing wineries that we had grown to love.

Of course, I reached out to JJ first and of course he came through in spades, not only donating wine flights at the winery, but a special 9-year vertical of their signature Lemberger wine (get your bidding fingers ready!). Another favorite, Hightower Cellars, stepped in with flights and a tour of the winery with Tim & Kelly Hightower – the owners and winemakers. (They are amazing people. One time we received a shipment from them and it wasn’t right. Tim called and said, “hey we’re going to be over on your side and can bring you the correct bottles…” They delivered them to my house personally! And threw in an extra bottle for the inconvenience… now that's service!)

​With the package complete, we needed to get the donated wine over to the westside. But, with pandemic this year, none of our remaining family was making the trip west. But, it didn’t take much arm twisting to convince Athena that she and I needed to take a road trip. 

​Short on time, we had to pack a lot in with little time to spare. We beelined over on a beautiful Saturday morning and our first stop was Kiona. It was like coming home. We sat with our wine flights on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. It's our happy place and it was tough to leave. Running slightly behind schedule, we high-tailed it down the road to Hightower. Kelly, herself, was handling the tastings, so we were able to thank her in person for the donation. “Air” hugs all around and we flew down the road to Fidelitas where we enjoyed their fabulous wines and a charcuterie plate on the patio. Our last stop of the day was at a new favorite, Frichette. Shae popped by to welcome us and we thoroughly enjoyed her Sassy Syrah and Carmenere. 

​While we loved the wine tasting, the highlight of the day was visiting our old homestead. We were so behind schedule, we missed seeing owner, Jason, but his cousin Kasey gave us the run of the place. We visited every nook and cranny – got a little misty eyed – and regaled her with the storied history of the unique house that Matt’s parents built more than 40 years ago (it has its own fallout shelter with a 1 foot thick cement & steel door - no lie).