The Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) Foundation’s second annual Wine Around The Square (WATS), benefitting the Power of Pink, is Friday, Sept. 20, beginning at 6 p.m. in downtown Murfreesboro around the historic Square.  The MTMC’s Power of Pink program provides diagnostic breast cancer services to Rutherford County women who are uninsured and underinsured.

“Last year’s event, our first, was so much fun,” said event co-chair Rita Ash.  “It was the first crisp fall evening and we had 600 people who came out to enjoy the cool evening walking, talking, tasting wines and enjoying great food and conversation.  This year, we want to invite even more Rutherford County friends and neighbors to buy a ticket, come join in the fun and help provide diagnostic breast cancer screenings for Rutherford County women who can’t afford those medical services on their own.”

Wine Around the Square is a casual, fun evening outdoors, featuring a progressive wine tasting with more than 75 wines at multiple retail and office venues around the Square.  Each venue will be staffed with volunteers who will describe and pour wine as well as offer a water rinse of the wine glasses before visitors proceed to the next station.  Last year’s event raised more than $120,000 to fund breast cancer screening and testing. 

Live music will be playing at multiple venues throughout the evening. Booked musicians include the Michael Toman Quartet; Bobby Howard, DJ; John Ward, Mid-South Mobile DJs; and DJ Jimmy Mansfield. 

The event check-in will be at the south end of the downtown Square, near retail stores The Write Impression, Sugaree’s and FunTiques.  Paid guests will receive an admission bracelet, a Wine Around the Square-etched signature wine glass and instructions for the evening.  Parking is located at the City Center Parking garage located off Vine Street or south Church Street.

In addition to the progressive wine tasting, guests will enjoy tasty snacks throughout the evening, courtesy of the following local restaurants, including:  Five Senses, Slick Pig, Jim 'N NIcks, Peter D's and Kirkenburt's Smokehouse.

The seeds of Power of Pink were planted eight years ago when Patty Marschel's best friend, Susan Loyd, whispered to her the chilling words, "I have breast cancer."  The following year, Patty chaired a golf and tennis tournament to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which ignited her passion to do something to benefit local women.   Then, Rita Ash and Leslie Akins joined Patty to develop a wine and cheese event to help women here in Rutherford County.  The Power of Pink effort blossomed, and the group eventually partnered with Anne Davis and the MTMC Foundation to increase Power of Pink's reach within the community. 

Patty's friend Susan has fully recovered from her bout with cancer, and today, the Power of Pink continues to help more local women every year to provide early breast cancer detection and to increase survival rates.  

Tickets may be purchased at winearoundthesquare.org for $75 each. 

Proceeds of the 2013 Power of Pink Wine Around the Square event benefit the Our Mission in Motion mobile mammography coach operated by St. Thomas Health and Susan G. Komen.  The coach serves a number of Power of Pink patients; event proceeds provide for a portion of the nurse navigator’s salary, and pay for local, indigent women’s mammograms and breast cancer care. 

During the last fiscal year, the Our Mission in Motion coach visited Rutherford County 29 times and performed 329 mammograms, 35 percent of which were charity care.  In addition, $88,843 Power of Pink monies have been spent this year for mammograms and/or biopsies for 529 indigent women.  All funds raised at Wine Around The Square will remain in Rutherford County and will help provide care for Rutherford County women.

"The opportunity to help provide cancer screenings and health care for local women is dear to my heart.  I never dreamed that Power of Pink would grow to this level! We are so thankful for our many supporters," Marschel said.

Wine Around the Square will proceed rain or shine.  Guests drinking wine must present photo identification at the event for age verification before receiving an admission bracelet.  To insure a safe ride home, event organizers will alert local cab companies to make cabs available in a central location for those guests who prefer to take a cab home at the end of the evening. 

Who to Contact?

For More Information, contact Terri H. Sterling, APR, Sterling Communications, 615.945.4794 or terri@terristerling.com.