Last Sunday, October 2, 2006, Tom DiNardo of DiNardo & Lord Auctioneers teamed with Food Network’s star chef Tyler Florence in Knoxville, Tennessee to preside over the 8th Annual Grand Charity Wine Auction for ChildHelp USA. Like cabernet sauvignon pairing well with filet mignon, both DiNardo and Florence had the crowd animated, entertained, and bidding furiously during the wine auction. Tyler Florence acted as the master of ceremonies while Tom DiNardo conducted the record setting charity auction.

The Grand Charity Wine Auction event is one of ChildHelp USA’s major fundraisers and provides the operational revenue necessary to continue their mission to prevent child abuse. David Purvis, ChildHelp’s Board Chairman, was elated with the record financial results. “Tyler Florence and Tom DiNardo did a fantastic job! They worked hard to achieve this event’s record setting revenue. One of the charity wine auction’s highlights was the $8,000 bid for a Margery Ryerson painting.”

Tyler Florence is the star chef on the Food Network’s television shows Food 911, Tyler’s Ultimate, and How to Boil Water. Mr. Florence held a pre-event book signing of his new bestseller, Eat This Book, before the wine auction began. Sporting a grin, Chef Florence chuckled, “Tom DiNardo had me bidding on and winning some wine and even a cooking class, which had the crowd howling with laughter. Everyone had a great time.”

Posted: 10|13|05 at 8:50 am. Filed under: US News.