The silver anniversary was a golden opportunity for the Naples Winter Wine Festival.

The 25th annual wine festival proved to be another record-breaking event, with its live auction on Jan. 25 bringing in more than $34 million to benefit at-risk and underprivileged children in Collier County. This brings the total amount raised to more than $336 million since the Naples Children & Education Foundation began the annual local charity event in 2001.

“Thank you for your irrational generosity,” NCEF Chairman of the Board Dale Medford said during the Jan. 26 celebratory brunch at the end of the festival.

About 650 attendees at this year’s auction arrived ready for an exciting event under a huge tent with crystal chandeliers outside The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón in North Naples. They found excitement and much more, with 52 one-of-a-kind auction lots with unique vehicles; travel and culinary opportunities; and wines from respected vineyards from around the world.

“How fun of a day was that? It was crazy,” said Rick Germain, one of the trustees organizing this year’s milestone festival. He thanked participants for their generosity throughout the weekend.

“Probably the most fun thing for me and probably for everybody in this room is watching these big screens and watching the bidders and watching the incredible excitement and joy that people are getting out of winning bids … It truly is so fun to watch how thrilled they are to be bidding and to be winning auction lots. It’s the best part of the day.”

The highlight of the auction came near its end with Lot 45 and an incredible $1.7 million winning bid for a 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible with a Bentley VIP experience at Monterey Car Week. The crowd roared as the amount climbed for the luxury automobile.

Two other lots raised $1 million each, with 40 couples kicking in $25,000 each to experience over-the-top nights out at favorite dining spots in Old Naples. One group will enjoy an exclusive Italian dinner prepared by celebrity chef Angelo Auriana in November at the wine-centric Bleu Provence French restaurant in Naples, while the other group will be treated to an acoustic concert in December from “American Idol” country star Scotty McCreery at The Club Room at Campiello on Third Street South.

As anticipated for Lot 28, an indulgent eight-night yachting voyage along the Croatian coast amassed an $850,000 winning bid. Four couples will be flown this summer to Croatia for a pampered experience aboard the 122-foot Navilux private charter yacht.

Lot 32, an elaborate package with an exclusive trip to Switzerland for two couples, sold twice for $800,000, adding a cool $1.6 million to the afternoon’s proceeds. Meanwhile, Lot 46 attracted another $800,000 for a five-night immersive experience for up to five couples at a Bordeaux wine estate in France.

The applause and cheering for the finale, Lot 52, was another highlight of the event, with more than 60 couples pledging $1 million to $5,000 each to accumulate a total of more than $5.8 million. The “Fund the Future” lot supports NCEF’s seven strategic initiatives: early learning, healthcare, hunger, mental health, oral health, out-of-school time and vision. Every dollar donated during this heartfelt call to action supports a holistic approach to focus on the well-being of underprivileged children in Collier County.

The scores of other lots brought in winning bids ranging from $200,000 to $750,000. All proceeds from the wine festival will support nearly 90 nonprofit community organizations that so far have provided 350,000 local children with essential services and resources.