Merritt Winery

FORESTVILLE, N.Y. (October 30, 2009) – Merritt Estate Winery announced this week that the company will be a major sponsor of the Catwalk for Charity event in Buffalo being hosted by the Steadfast Foundation. The Steadfast Foundation was founded by Buffalo Sabres Goalie, Ryan Miller, to help children battling Cancer and Leukemia.

The fourth annual Catwalk for Charity "Rebels with a Cause" 50s themed event is being held at The Town Ballroom in downtown Buffalo on November 8, 2009. The event begins at 6 p.m. and is a 21-and-over event.

The Catwalk for Charity is the signature event of the Steadfast Foundation which was created in 2006 by Ryan Miller and his family. The event is an evening affair that includes appearances from various Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills athletes along with other local celebrities. Money raised through ticket sales, live auctions, silent auctions and private donations goes to different organizations in the Buffalo area that help children battling terminal illnesses, especially Roswell Park and Carly's Club.

"We are very excited to be working with Ryan Miller and the Steadfast Foundation again. We had Ryan at the winery in 2007 for our Strawberry Festival and Septemberfest to help raise money for the same reasons," said Jason Merritt, General Manager for Merritt Estate Winery. Merritt Estate Winery will be creating a limited edition Cabernet Sauvignon screen-printed wine bottle for the event. Merritt produced Steadfast Foundation bottles in 2007 which were autographed by Ryan Miller himself.

Another major feature of Merritt's sponsorship of the Catwalk for Charity is that Merritt Estate wines will be the featured wine during the entire event.

"We're donating our wine for the foundation volunteers to serve and sell during their event," said Merritt. "We have a tremendous market share in the Buffalo area and we're proud to donate the money from the wine that is sold to Ryan's foundation."

The winery is going to have their products featured during the VIP reception before the event as well.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for our winery to be involved with such a high-profile event in the Buffalo area," said Edwin Rodriguez, marketing and promotions person for Merritt Estate Winery. "Not only is this a great charity and cause to support, but we also get to showcase our signature personalized wine bottles. We put a lot of time and effort into the bottles we produce for events and athletes in our area. This is a great stage to show off our capabilities," said Rodriguez.

Tickets for the Catwalk for Charity are $200 per person and can be purchased on the foundation’s Web site at www.thesteadfastfoundation.com.

For more information on Merritt Estate Winery news and events, call 888-965-4800 or visit www.merrittestatewinery.com.

Merritt Estate is located in the largest grape growing region of New York State. The grapes and wines produced under Merritt rival the quality of premium vintages throughout the world.