We are so excited to announce that we have partnered with The National Military Family Association (NMFA) of Alexandria, Virginia, to award a $14,000 scholarship to Tessa Fulmer, a military spouse pursuing her master’s degree in teaching at Clemson University. The scholarship was funded in advance by Traveling Vineyard and will be supported through sales of 2015 Sky Blossom, Mendocino County Syrah, California. Sky Blossom was created exclusively to benefit military spouses, like Mrs. Fulmer, and to support NMFA’s mission. For every bottle of Sky Blossom purchased through Traveling Vineyard’s network of independent Wine Guides, $1 will be donated to NMFA on an ongoing basis. Sky Blossom retails for $18.99.
Rick Libby, CEO and Chief Grape Stomper says he is proud to partner with NMFA to support military families, a community strongly represented within Traveling Vineyard’s network of Wine Guides—and a cause close to his own heart. Libby’s father, Edgar Libby, was a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army.
“We have been inspired by so many military spouses and former military within our own Traveling Vineyard family. We have witnessed their stories, sacrifices, and joys firsthand. Supporting NMFA and giving opportunity to military families like Derek & Tessa Fulmer is a tangible way for us to show our appreciation,” Libby says.
“We are so grateful to Traveling Vineyard for its commitment to military families and the work we do at the National Military Family Foundation to support them,” says NMFA Executive Director Joyce Wessel Raezer. “Military spouses often have to put their academic and professional goals on the back burner. Thanks to Traveling Vineyard, Tessa and other spouses like her will be one step closer to achieving their dreams.”
The scholarship was awarded to Mrs. Fulmer in a surprise presentation at Traveling Vineyard’s Harvest Conference for Wine Guides at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, in front of 500 of the company’s independent Wine Guides.
Tessa Fulmer is an Air Force spouse, mother, and educator. During the last seven years, her family has had to move with the military five times—and each time, Tessa found a way to reinvent herself and find employment. She has navigated state licensure processes, hiring freezes, and difficult employment landscapes—yet she has successfully found work as a first and second grade teacher, childcare provider, and government employee. Passionate about instruction and leadership, Tessa is pursuing a master’s degree in education at Clemson University that will make finding work easier through future military moves and add to her family’s financial stability for years to come.
We’re inspired by the work being done by NMFA, and we welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important organization and give back to a community that has given so much to so many.
RICK LIBBY, CHIEF GRAPE STOMPER, TRAVELING VINEYARD
The scholarship was presented by Libby together with NMFA’s Deputy Director of Marketing Katie Parlin and Public Relations Senior Manager Raleigh Smith Duttweiler. Joining them was also Elizabeth Allen, an Emerald Director and Wine Guide with Traveling Vineyard, who is a military spouse and one of the inspirational women behind the company’s support of the cause. Just this past year, Allen began blogging for NMFA and sharing her personal experiences with its community. She continues her work with NMFA this summer at their Operation Purple camps for military children.
About 2015 Sky Blossom Syrah
2015 Sky Blossom, Mendocino County Syrah, California, retails for $18.99 and is available exclusively through Traveling Vineyard’s network of 5,000 independent Wine Guides. Traveling Vineyard wine is marketed via free in-home wine tasting events hosted at private homes, similar to other “party plan” direct selling models that allow consumers to try before they buy. Sky Blossom Syrah joins two other charity wines produced by Traveling Vineyard: Bella Mente Pinot Grigio benefiting The American Brain Tumor Association; and Rayado Cabernet Sauvignon benefiting Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL MILITARY FAMILY ASSOCIATION
The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions of families through its advocacy and programs. They provide spouse scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill, or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, veteran, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To get involved or to learn more, visit http://www.MilitaryFamily.org.