Asante Foundation Ends Oregon Wine Experience After a Decade of Fundraising

After nearly a decade of efforts to support children’s health care programs, the Asante Foundation has made the difficult decision to discontinue the Oregon Wine Experience® (OWE) fundraising event. This announcement comes after a close evaluation of the event’s financial viability in the wake of a post-pandemic economy.

Since its inception in 2015, OWE has drawn tens of thousands of people from across the nation to partake in all things Oregon wine while contributing to children’s health care at Asante, a local, not-for-profit organization providing medical care to nearly 600,000 people in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Andrea Reeder, the Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer of Asante, expressed the organization’s deep sense of honor and pride for creating this community-driven event. She acknowledged the immense contributions of sponsors, vendors, wineries, and guests in raising over $12 million to support Asante’s mission.

However, Asante Foundation, like health systems nationwide, is grappling with financial challenges due to the high cost of labor, goods, and services, coupled with inflation. The increased operational costs have made OWE financially unviable as a fundraising event. “We must be good stewards of resources,” Reeder said, emphasizing the need to allocate resources effectively.

The organization has expressed gratitude to everyone who played a role in making OWE a reality. Despite the event’s conclusion, the outcomes and opportunities it enabled will continue to have a lasting impact.

Asante Foundation has noted that it will continue to evaluate its assets, inventory, and individual event components over the coming months to determine the next steps. In the interim, they plan to fulfill all remaining OWE auction purchases through the 2023 event, and the final Oregon Wine University® class is scheduled for December 2023.

The decision to end OWE marks the end of an era in Oregon’s charitable and wine community, but the Asante Foundation remarks they remain committed to its mission of serving the community through alternative means in these challenging times.