Scheduled as part of Homecoming Weekend 2006, Cabernet Cabaret took place at the Providence Biltmore Hotel. It was presented by PC's National Alumni Association Board of Governors and Gasbarro Wines of Federal Hill, Providence, in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Alyssa M. Rothenbuhler, program officer for alumni relations in the Office of Institutional Advancement, said the evening was such a success that it could become an annual event.

Rothenbuhler praised Mark U. Gasbarro '97, president of Gasbarro Wines, as the chief architect of the fundraiser. She noted the evening was his idea and that he helped plan most aspects of the event. In addition, he donated the 50 bottles of wine for the tasting and arranged for a knowledgeable person to be at each of the eight wine-tasting tables to answer questions. Gasbarro was co-chair of the event along with Michael Woody '77.

"We tried to make it a special evening," said Gasbarro, who earned a B.S. in accounting at PC. "A lot of times when people go to wine tastings they taste a lot of average wines but we picked 50 wines that have outstanding quality and great pedigree."

The auction included such items as getaways to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and a California vineyard; tickets to see the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics, and the New York Jets; tickets to attend a taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien; and an hour's ice hockey instruction from former Friar women's hockey goalie and Olympic gold and silver medalist Sara DeCosta Hayes '00.

Dinner for eight with College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. '80 and College Executive Vice President and Treasurer Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. '78 & '84G resulted in some highly competitive bidding. When the dust had settled, not one but two dinners with the College administrators were auctioned, one for $1,600 and one for $1,500.