The annual Wine Dinner fundraiser for the international travel club has sustained high-dollar donations every year since its origin in 2018. This fall, over $60,000 will be distributed to families involved with the travel club from the dinner alone.
The International Travel Club had its first trip in 2018, taking students to four European countries. Club advisor John Lizzi was unsure of how to fund such an experience, but he knew he didn’t want to form a club only a limited number of students could be a part of. “I didn’t really have a good conception of what that would look like,” said Lizzi. “I was not thinking big scale at all.” Early brainstorming focused on smaller-scale ideas like bake sales and car washes, but nothing that could make a significant financial impact.
Parent Denise Cohn helped pivot fundraising for the travel club into something bigger through a connection with the manager of The White Hart in Salisbury, Connecticut. With their help, the club hosted its first Wine Dinner fundraiser. The event exceeded expectations, raising about $25,000. The now-annual tradition grows more successful each year.
Despite being a small, rural school, HVRHS offers two international trips every year. Thanks to the Wine Dinner, these global opportunities are accessible to a larger variety of students. Each year, an estimated 85-90% of students going on trips participate in the fundraising. “Almost everyone on the trip is benefiting directly from the money raised,” Lizzi said. “I know plenty of families who would not have been able to travel without it.”
Lydia Fleming, a junior at HVRHS who has previously traveled to Iceland and Thailand with the travel club, said, “The trips are pricey but the Wine Dinner makes it manageable, and because of that there are more diverse groups of people on the trips.”
Currently enrolled in the Australia and New Zealand trip for July of 2026, Fleming is excited to experience unfamiliar cultures and traditions in a different part of the world. “Fundraising makes it possible to go on these trips that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to go on,” she said.
Pictured left to right: Lainey Diorio, Phoebe Conklin,Violeta Perez, Lyla Diorio — all members of the class of 2029.Simon Markow
In months leading up to the event, students begin tackling a wide range of responsibilities: soliciting sponsors, making phone calls, selling tickets, collecting auction items, and more. On the night of the event, they serve food, speak in front of guests, sell raffle tickets, and help with clean up. “It’s just really great to see students interacting with the public–with our dinner guests, many of whom are sponsors themselves,” Lizzi said.
While students and parents play a crucial role in organizing and working the event, the heart of the fundraiser comes from generosity from the community. Local businesses donate money or items for the live and silent auctions. Most companies continue their support year after year. Guests attend not only to enjoy a four course meal, but to support students by bidding on auction items and purchasing raffle tickets. Support from the community is key to the success of the event.
“When we started, I had no conception of what was possible or what people were willing to give,” said Lizzi. “The fact that people give $500 to thousands of dollars in one fell swoop is still shocking to me.”
What started as an uncertain experiment has evolved into a dependable, student-driven event that makes a difference for student opportunities. Lizzi’s main message is simple: “Don’t let cost be a prohibitive factor for you. We will help you through that process no matter the level of financial need that you have.”
The Wine Dinner fundraiser makes international travel an affordable reality for students at HVRHS, but it isn’t the opportunity to raise money. The club runs an annual appeal, writing personalized letters to companies and community members. In addition, multiple scholarship options are available to ensure all willing students can participate in international travel. Lizzi says, “If you’re dedicated enough, it is possible.”
