WHALEYVILLE — As part of their weekly Wine-Down Friday event Jack and Kathryn Danko-Lord have been hosting guest bartenders for the better part of the last year. The idea began as a way to raise money and awareness for local charities in the best way the couple new how — drinking wine.

Using a word of mouth campaign, they inaugurated “Pour for a Cause” wherein local charities would provide bartenders during a designated Wine-Down Friday and turn the fundraising event into a party. In addition to receiving a portion of the evening’s sales, the bartenders’ tips all go to the designated charity as well.

Janilyn Elias and her husband Jeff Fetterman attended such an event last year in support of Leukemia/Lymphoma research efforts and were impressed, not only by the turnout but also by how much fun they had. So when they began to try and discover a way to support a cause in which they believed the winery seemed as if it would be a great fit.

Elias and Fetterman own The Bookend Café and Pet Indulgence in Fenwick and heard the Safe Haven No Kill Animal Shelter was slated to open in Georgetown, Del. this spring. The couple decided they would like to raise money to help the startup.

No kill animal shelters are nearly always running on a shoestring budget. Providing the necessary medical care and food along is difficult. Add to that the basic maintenance of running this kind of project and the difficulty endemic to continuing to support animals in the long term and it is easy to see how no kill shelters continually struggle against poverty.

Representatives from Safe Haven will also be at this event sharing information about their animals available for adoption or foster care.

Since they have a pet shop and a bookstore/coffee house at their disposal, Elias and Fetterman will be donating, in addition to their time, raffle items including baskets packed with dog and supplies and goodies, and coffee gift baskets.

The attraction of being guest bartenders for a cause they support is that Elias and Fetterman will have the opportunity not only to speak about the wine but also about the cause. Attendees will be able to have tastings or to purchase wine by the glass. Appetizers will be provided as well.

Costa Ventosa Winery is located at 9031 Whaleyville Road. For information about this event please call The Bookend Café at 302-537-2665. Anyone interested in arranging a Pour for a Cause event should call Costa Ventosa 410-352-9867 or visit http://www.costaventosa.com.