Beneficiaries celebrated with end-of-year checks at Grant Giving event
December 15, 2025 (Nashville, TN) — For the second year in a row, Nashville Wine Auction has provided a record-breaking amount of beneficiary grants.
The grants were awarded to 12 beneficiaries at the annual Grant Celebration on Wednesday, December 10. Board members, donors and staff gathered to present the 2025 grants.
“Nashville Wine Auction’s amazing events raise money (lots of money!) that directly fuels the fight against cancer. I am so pleased that the Nashville Wine Auction is an increasingly major supporter of cancer treatment, support, and research in Middle Tennessee,” 2026 Nashville Wine Auction Board Chair Mark Peacock says. “And I am especially proud that we continue to champion cancer research at Vanderbilt during a time of uncertain funding for such critical work.”
Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $43 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to cancer research, innovative patient treatment, and caregiver/patient support. By uniting the wine community, event attendees and donors help fund the fight against cancer.
The Grant Celebration is the culmination of year-long efforts of the Nashville Wine Auction team and its community. Each beneficiary representative took a few moments to share how the grant fulfillment would impact their organization and further their mission.
In addition to the grants, Nashville Wine Auction presented each beneficiary with funds from the Patient Gas Card Program. More than $7,500 was gifted from the focus of Nashville Wine Auction’s Giving Tuesday campaign.
Charlotte Ladd works with cancer patients at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center as a volunteer in the Patient and Family Resource Center, where they share these gas cards with patients. In her work, Ladd recognizes the anxiety and complexity that comes with a cancer diagnosis. It changes the life of the patient, caregiver and all those connected to them.
She notes that patients and their families frequently travel long distances for treatments and diagnostic tests — sometimes up to 2 hours in rural areas, especially depending on the type of cancer.
“The gas cards represent so much more than simply addressing an expensive journey back and forth; the gas cards demonstrate to patients that they are NOT a disease, but a person with a disease,” Ladd says. “Knowing these gas cards have been donated, patients love that total strangers have reached out to them with kindness and care enough to support their complex journey through cancer treatments.”
Grant requests were also fulfilled for these organizations:
American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge: Funding helps provide a nurturing place with a home-like community for immune-compromised cancer patients and their loved ones seeking treatment and care in Nashville.
Ascension Saint Thomas Foundation: Funding supports their Middle Tennessee Program to expand access to lung cancer screening through collaboration with Ascension Saint Thomas rural community hospitals. This effort will make available no-cost Lung Cancer Screening to targeted individuals in specific communities in Middle Tennessee.
Blood Cancer United: Funding supports the Dare to Dream Childhood Cancer Initiative that focuses on pediatric cancer research, treatment and care. In addition, funding provides support to help local patients/families cope with the financial strain of cancer treatment and obstacles to care.
Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee: Funding supports evidence-based psychosocial cancer support to all people impacted by cancer and their families through community, action and knowledge.
Funding also supports the Comprehensive Building Campaign to fund the new Member Hospitality Convenience Kitchen.
Heimerdinger Foundation: Funding supports their mission to provide nutrient-dense, organic meals and education, free of charge, for families facing cancer.
HopeKids, Inc.: Funding transforms the lives of children with cancer and their families through events, activities, and community support, with a specific focus on new programs (HopeDay and Hope Community) to assist families who want to host events helping bring hope and additional support to families in their zip code.
Make-A-Wish® Middle Tennessee: Funding ensures that wishes come true for kids facing and fighting a cancer diagnosis, as well as create outreach materials to ensure all eligible kids are referred within the 38-county service area. In addition, Nashville Wine Auction provided a $25K match for the 25th Anniversary Matching program.
Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital: Funding supports a study of patients during and following treatment to identify the impact of Social Determinants of Health and Financial Toxicity on unintended outcomes and survival rates, which helps to identify patients at greatest risk to develop strategies to reduce their impact on cancer health disparities and adverse outcomes.
Nashville General Hospital Foundation: Funding supports the creation of the “Breast Spa” in the Breast Clinic, a non-medical environment where patients can access Breast Spa Kits, educational materials and holistic pre-and post- surgical care.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Funding supports advanced therapy that focuses radiation on cancer cells while reducing the effects on healthy tissue; lessening short and long-term side effects of treatment.
Survivor Fitness Foundation: Funding supports an initiative to provide at least 4,800 training sessions to cancer survivors in Middle Tennessee through the one-on-one fitness program, focusing on underserved areas of Middle Tennessee.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center: Funding expands the current BRIGHTER study to an additional 100 participants, along with completion of baseline & ongoing data collection, germline DNA/tumor sample collection, provision of genetic testing and results disclosure, and evaluating factors affecting patient outcomes, including recurrence and survival, across the various breast cancer subtypes.
ABOUT THE NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION
Nashville Wine Auction’s mission is to unite the wine community to fund the fight against cancer. In 2026, Nashville Wine Auction will celebrate Pairings: Nashville’s Ultimate Wine and Food Weekend on February 26 – 28 and the 47th Annual l’Eté du Vin on July 30 – August 1 at JW Marriott. Established in 1980, the Nashville Wine Auction has raised more than $43 million for organizations whose purpose is directly related to cutting-edge research, innovative treatment, and family/patient/caregiver support. www.NashvilleWineAuction.com
NASHVILLE WINE AUCTION BENEFICIARIES
American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, Ascension Saint Thomas Foundation, Blood Cancer United, Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee, The Heimerdinger Foundation, HopeKids, Inc., Nashville General Hospital Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Middle Tennessee, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Survivor Fitness Foundation, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
