The 15th Annual Wine for Hope Gala Turns 20

If you’ve never spent an April evening at Waypoint 4180, here’s what you’re missing: a room full of the Valley’s biggest hearts, a few too many good stories, and — every single year — enough generosity to fund another twelve months of showing up for local families facing a child’s chronic or terminal illness. This April, we’re doing it all again, and turning it up for a milestone year.

2027 marks the Hope Foundation’s 20th anniversary and the 15th Wine for Hope gala. We’re planning the biggest celebration yet, and we wanted to give you a preview of what’s in store — plus a look back at the night that got us here.

More than 340 guests filled the ballroom last April, toasting, bidding, and celebrating six Valley honorees whose generosity has shaped this community. Together, we raised $132,500 to fund financial assistance and DreamCatcher experiences for local families facing a child’s chronic or terminal illness.

“Seeing this entire community show up — again — for kids who need us most is what keeps us doing this every single year.”
— Wine for Hope Committee, reflecting on 2026

Honoring Champions of Hope

Every Wine for Hope opens the same way: a room falls quiet, and we take a moment to thank the people who’ve made this community better simply by refusing to look away. This year is no different — we’ll be presenting the H.O.P.E. Lifetime Achievement Award to six more Valley residents whose generosity has changed the trajectory of local families’ lives.

We’re proud to celebrate all six of them, and we can’t wait for you to hear a little of their story from the stage.

What’s In Store This Year

Expect the evening you know and love — wine tastings, a curated dinner, and a live auction worth clearing your bidding paddle for — plus a few new surprises for our 20th anniversary. We’re bringing back the crowd favorite Cork Pull, where a $25 cork gets you a shot at a bottle worth anywhere from $30 to $300, and we’re building a milestone photo wall for guests to leave their mark on two decades of Hope Foundation history.

A Community That Shows Up

At the heart of every Wine for Hope gala is the same simple idea: no family should face a child’s illness alone. Funds raised this April will go directly toward financial assistance and DreamCatcher experiences for children and families across the Mahoning Valley — the same mission that’s guided the Hope Foundation for twenty years now.

Last year alone, that mission reached 53 local families. This year, with your help, we’re aiming higher.

Cocktails, Dinner, and Getting Involved

Doors open at 6:00 PM with cocktail hour and silent auction browsing, dinner and the award presentation follow around 7:15, and the night wraps with dancing and dessert. Cocktail attire or black tie is welcome — many guests lean into the evening’s theme with a favorite shade of wine or gold.

Individual seats start at $75, tables of 8 at $550, and VIP sponsor tables at $1,200 — all with early-bird pricing through April 3, 2027.

Interested in joining them for our 20th anniversary year? We have a limited number of 2027 sponsorship spots open — reach out to our team to learn more.