The fifth Annual Wine Around the Square is set for 6:00 o'clock Saturday night , September 17th. This event benefits Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation's Power of Pink and is slated for the historic uptown Murfreesboro area.

Main Event tickets are $60 per person and are available for purchase online at winearoundthesquare.org. VIP Party tickets are $250 per person and available for purchase online at winearoundthesquare.org; the VIP Party will be hosted by Daffodilly Design at 118 West Vine Street. The Alley on Main will host the free Late Party, beginning at 9 p.m. at 223 West Main Street.

Wine Around the Square benefits the Power of Pink, a program of the Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation that provides diagnostic breast cancer services to Rutherford County women who are uninsured, underinsured and indigent. Volunteers Patty Marschel, Rita Ash and Caroline Lampley are the 2016 co-chairs.

Wine Around the Square is a casual, fun evening outside, featuring a progressive wine tasting with more than 75 wines at multiple retail and office venues around the Murfreesboro Square. Each venue is staffed with volunteers who describe and pour wine for tasting before visitors proceed to the next station. Shops are open for browsing and shopping; great food is provided by local restaurants and caterers; live music is playing for listening and dancing; two great performances by the Center for the Arts; plus wine, craft beers and premium liquors are available for tasting and sipping. Last year's event raised more than $178,000 to fund breast cancer screening and testing.

The night's entertainment features Frazier & Company, who will provide live music on the Square all evening. Marshall Creek Band will headline the free after-party at The Alley on Main. The MTSU Pep Band will lead a march from the VIP Party to the Main Event at 7 p.m. The Center for the Arts will present two surprise performances during the evening.

Wine, craft beers and premium liquors will be served, thanks to event sponsor Charlie Patel and Stones River Liquors.

"The entire community and region have responded so generously every single year since we launched Wine Around the Square," said Anne Davis, Director of the Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation. "And this year is no different. WATS is a casual, fun evening for all ages. This year, we have more sponsors, more food vendors, more entertainment, more beverages and more tickets sold than ever before, and we're just so excited and appreciative. We want to provide a great value and a lot of fun for the hundreds of people we are planning to welcome this year."

Last year more than 1100 people enjoyed the outdoor event. Once again, for the fifth consecutive year, the entire Square will be completely blocked off so guests can walk outdoors while enjoying their wine, beers and premium liquors. Guests are able to walk from venue to venue with their beverages.

"Last year's event was so much fun," said event co-chair Patty Marschel. "It was one of the first crisp fall evenings and we welcomed more than 1100 people who came out to enjoy the 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 these vital medical services on their own."

Come prepared to have a blast!

Check in that evening at the south end of the downtown Square near retail store Bink's. Paid guests will receive an admission bracelet, a Wine Around the Square-etched signature wine glass, a goodie bag and instructions for the evening. Parking is available at the City Center Parking garage located off Vine Street or south Church Street.

Photo ID for age verification must be provided to local police officers at check-in to obtain admission bracelets for guests drinking wine, beer or liquors. Wine Around the Square proceeds rain or shine. 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. Uber is also available.

In addition to the progressive wine, beer and liquor tasting, guests will enjoy tasty snacks throughout the evening, courtesy of the following local restaurants: The Blue Porch, Slick Pig, The Alley on Main, Puckett's Grocery, I Love Juice Bar, Sprouts, The Goat, Station Grill, Chick Fil A, Murfreesboro Pure Milk, Virgin Seafood Company, The Block, Christie-Q Bar-B-Q, Alex Belew Catering, Vibe in the Boro, Jim N Nick's, Bar Louie, The Curious Kitchen, The Hamry and The Parthenon.

Event sponsors are: MidState Radiology, Inc., Dotty Adams, Premier Radiology MidState Radiology, Inc., Dotty Adams, Premier Radiology, Pinnacle Financial Partners,

Edward Jones, Brian Coleman CFP, Woodfin Funeral Chapels, Bell Jewelers and Saint Thomas Rutherford Emergency Physicians.

History of Power of Pink and Wine Around the Square

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 Saint Thomas Rutherford 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.

About the Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation: The Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation was established in 1984 to support and promote the quality medical services provided by Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital and to raise and manage philanthropic gifts to further the hospital's healing ministry. Contributions to the Foundation support direct care of the poor, education, new equipment, facilities and the Dispensary of Hope, the Saint Louise Clinic, the Power of Pink and the Mobile Health Unit.

No matter what the size, every gift to the Foundation has an impact and helps meet the most pressing needs of our patients and our community. And remember, when you make a donation, 100% of your gift goes directly to our programs to improve healthcare for Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital patients now and in the future.

The Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation is located at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, 1700 Medical Center Parkway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. The phone number is 615.396.4996. The Foundation's Web site is mtmc.org/foundation. Anne Davis is the Foundation Director, and Lindsey Fournier is the Foundation Development Coordinator.