Leann Johnson attended her first “Salute! A Festival of Wine and Food” event three years ago. And she was so impressed with the fund-raiser for Cottonwood Inc. that she sought out its organizers and volunteered to help.

“The event is so much fun, and there’s nothing like it in Lawrence,” said Johnson, who moved to Lawrence from Chicago. “I was so impressed with the wines. You can sample hundreds of wines and food that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to do on a regular basis.”

“Salute!,” from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrence Holidome, gives wine novices and connoisseurs an opportunity to sample more than 250 wines from some of the world’s leading vineyards and taste gourmet cuisine from several Lawrence restaurants and caterers. The event has been designated by USA Today as being among “the most popular wine festivals and charity auctions” in the nation.

Proceeds go to Cottonwood Inc., which provides residential, employment and support services to the developmentally disabled in Douglas and Jefferson counties.

“Last year, we raised over $51,000, and we hope to do that again,” said Peggy Wallert, director of community relations at Cottonwood Inc.

“Salute!” was founded by Standard Beverage Corporation, a Kansas distributor of wines, beer and spirits, Wallert said. The corporation has sponsored the event for four years and many of its employees are among the 100 or so volunteers who help organize the fund-raiser.

In addition to the wine and food tasting, the event also features silent and live auctions for wines, giftware and products and services from merchants; live music by the Chuck Berg Jazz Trio; and cooking with wine demonstrations by chefs from the Hereford House and Teller’s restaurants.

Tickets are $50 a person and include 20 sample tickets, a commemorative wine glass, wine plate, corkscrew and gourmet cuisine.

“Salute!” will get a jump on the community wine and food tasting party with wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Pachamama’s, 2161 Quail Creek Drive. The dinner is hosted by Tom Mohan of Franciscan Wine Estates and features a multicourse meal prepared by chef Ken Baker. Each course is paired with a wine from Franciscan Wine Estates.

	“Salute! A Festival of Wine and Food” will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Friday with a Francisan Wine Dinner at Pachamama’s, 2161 Quail Creek Drive. Cost is $100 a person. A wine and food tasting party, with silent and live auctions, will be from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive. Cost is $50 a person. For tickets call 840-1604. Participants must be 21 years of age.Proceeds go to Cottonwood Inc., which provides services to the developmentally disabled in Douglas and Jefferson counties.

Tickets are $100 a person and are available by reservation only.

“We’d like to sell 75 to 100 tickets,” said Vickie Otten, who co-chairs the event with her husband, Jim Otten.

While the events are fun, Otten and Wallert don’t lose sight of the parties’ goals: to help the 500 or so people served by Cottonwood Inc. The proceeds help with clothing, dental work, transportation, medical, housing and other needs.

“It has a direct bearing on the quality of life for these people,” Wallert said.