Miles Schnaer understands why the annual Salute! fundraiser has become a smashing success for Cottonwood Inc.

Schnaer and his wife, Paula, have a wine cellar and enjoy opening up new bottles to try them out.

“I guess as the economy changes, different people pick up different hobbies to get involved in,” says Schnaer, owner of Crown Toyota Chevrolet Scion and co-chairman of this year’s Salute! with his wife. “It’s kind of a common bond with people. You can talk about it.”

There will be plenty of talking about wine starting tonight as Cottonwood starts its eighth-annual Salute!, which raises money for programs for people with disabilities.

The events include:

¢ The Mass Street Mosey, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, which will feature 20 different wines and food at 10 different venues along Massachusetts Street.

¢ The Winemaker Dinner, at 7 p.m. Friday at Pachamama’s, 2161 Quail Creek Drive, where a representative of Luna Winery and Arnold Palmer Wines will discuss different vintages and how they’re made.

¢ The Grand Tasting & Auction, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive. That event will offer the opportunity to sample over 250 wines and eat food from area restaurants and caterers. It also will include silent and live auctions, with bidding on bottles of wine, trips and other products and services.

The success of the events is evident in ticket sales. The Mass Street Mosey and Winemaker Dinner are sold out. Tickets remain for the Grand Tasting & Auction and cost $60.

“It’s a social gathering,” says Peggy Wallert, development director for Cottonwood. “It runs the gamut from folks who don’t know a thing about wine to real connoisseurs. You get to try a lot of different wines from different vineyards and see which ones you enjoy.”

This year, attendees to Saturday’s event also can hobnob with Kendall Gammon, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, who is a celebrity co-chair with his wife. Gammon has pledged to bring other Chiefs to the winetasting, as well.

Salute! is underwritten by Standard Beverage Co. and U.S. Bank.

Schnaer says he thinks the form of fundraiser fits Lawrence perfectly.

“I think it’s just something a little bit different than the normal fundraisers people have,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of style and class in Lawrence, and it works.”