The Chester County Hospital is
the beneficiary of about $60,000 that was raised during the Wine Festival at
the Dilworthtown Inn last weekend. Money had gone to the Chester County SPCA in
previous years.

More than 1,200 people attended
the 20^th wine tasting event at the inn property. There were 150
volunteers who coordinated the 80 venders and a silent auction that was selling
an estimated $28,000 worth of merchandise.

“It was the largest silent
auction yet,” said Marie Robinson who co-chaired the event.

“Our goal is to raise more than
we did last year,” Robinson said as the festival first got underway.

That goal was reached, since
the 2010 festival raised $50,000, she said.

“It’s a huge fund-raiser, but
it’s a great cause,” Robinson said. “What’s great is that the money stays right
here in Chester County.”

Admission was $35 per person
and vendors paid $100 each to sell their wares.

One such vendor was Carly
Houlihan of Devon who was selling Hives for Lives honey.

Houlihan described Hives for
Lives as a kid-run charity that raises money to help find a cure for cancer.

“It’s in honor of my
grandfather who passed away when I was 9 years old. This is our ninth year of
selling honey and beeswax candles. It’s been a great gift to me in my life,”
she said. “It’s very personal. My grandfather was my inspiration and he was my
best friend. He taught me the Fox Trot in a half tux and shorts.”

Houlihan
tends 23 hives.

“I always say
that bees are the perfect pet because you don’t have to walk them or pay them
too much attention. They’re awesome things to have because they pollinate your
backyard and they also teach you a lot about the world around you,” she said.

She collects
the frames, skims the wax layer, extracts the honey, then bottles and sells it.

Her honey sells nationwide
through Whole Foods at $6.99. She’s raised $180,000 to fight cancer during the
last 9 years.