The Wine, Women and Shoes fundraiser is coming back to the Lucas Estate in Carmel on September 11, bringing shopping, wine and a fashion show featuring hospital staff back to the 33-acre property to raise money for Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. The event, hosted by the donor group Called to Care, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and follows a 2025 edition that generated $300,000 in grants for programs and equipment at the Indianapolis hospital.
According to WISH-TV, last year's gala funded advanced equipment for pediatric neurosurgery, nursing initiatives and school programs that let hospitalized children keep up with their education. Beth Dodson, executive director of Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, said the donations help fund programs and equipment supporting young patients, per the station's report. Called to Care also provided care packages for hospital care team members and assembled NICU graduation kits and sensory kits for patients, the outlet noted.
A Members-Only Group With a Direct Vote on Grants
Called to Care operates as an auxiliary “Circle of Impact” donor group within the Ascension St. Vincent Foundation, where members pay annual dues ranging from $200 for an Advocate membership up to $5,000 for a Distinguished Leader tier, according to the Ascension St. Vincent Foundation. Ten percent of those dues fund year-round service projects, while the rest is pooled so members can cast direct votes on how pediatric hospital grants get awarded, the foundation says. Called to Care has more than 100 members, the same report notes, and this year's group has already donated 1,000 books to the NICU readathon and logged more than 80 service hours on pediatric programs.
Calie Estes, chair of Called to Care, said the group's work must have a service purpose, the WISH-TV article states. Vice chair Nessa Hamman said the event allows women to connect while supporting an important cause, per the same account. Guests at the September event will hear from a patient about their hospital experience, and the group aims to help children feel comfort, families feel supported and hospital care team members feel supported by their community, the station reports.
Shopping, Auctions and a Fashion Show at the Lucas Mansion
The event itself brings together shopping from local boutiques, small bites from local food vendors, and silent and live auctions, all under the banner of bringing women together for shopping, food and philanthropy. A signature fashion show will feature hospital care team members as models, according to the seed report. The Lucas Estate, owned by Lucas Oil founders Forrest and Charlotte Lucas since 2010, has hosted more than 400 community charity fundraisers rent-free, according to the Indiana Blind Children's Foundation, which also notes the property was previously owned by former Conseco CEO Stephen Hilbert.
The Wine, Women & Shoes format itself is not unique to Carmel. It was created in 2004 by Napa Valley entrepreneur Elaine Honig and has since spread to more than 50 U.S. cities, raising over $22 million for local charities nationwide by combining boutique shopping, wine tasting and fashion shows, per a document archived by the University of Florida Digital Collections.
A Bigger Push Behind the Hospital's Name
Peyton Manning Children's Hospital carries the name of the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, who has visited the hospital since his 1998 NFL rookie season and had the facility renamed for him in September 2007 in recognition of his philanthropic commitment, according to University of Tennessee Athletics. Manning continues to co-chair the hospital's spring Celebration of Caring Gala. The auxiliary fundraising from groups like Called to Care sits alongside much larger capital investments at the hospital system: Ascension St. Vincent opened a $325 million Women and Infants Hospital directly attached to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in January 2025, expanding neonatal care with 109 private NICU rooms, as Hoodline reported at the time.
The Ascension St. Vincent Foundation also completed a $48 million phase of its “Care for Tomorrow” campaign to expand the pediatric emergency department and pediatric intensive care unit at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, with the broader campaign raising over $47 million for maternal and child healthcare across Indiana, according to Ascension. In its 2024 Impact Report, the foundation said it funded nearly 12,000 non-emergency medical rides across the state and provided lodging for over 3,550 families at St. Vincent House while their loved ones received hospital care.
Other Ways Indiana Residents Can Give
Beyond one-time galas, Indiana driver's license holders can support the hospital year-round by purchasing an official state specialty plate, which directs $25 of its $40 annual fee toward pediatric abuse and neglect prevention programs run by the hospital's Child Protection Team, per the foundation's giving materials. Ascension St. Vincent and Peyton Manning Children's Hospital also formalized a healthcare partnership with the Indianapolis Colts in September 2024 to expand joint community health and wellness initiatives, including interactive youth spaces at the team's Westfield training camp.
September's Wine, Women and Shoes fundraiser is the latest chapter in that broader fundraising ecosystem, pairing a members-only donor circle with a fashion show, boutique shopping and a story from a patient whose family relied on the hospital's care.
