Recently, the Shockleys and Galatas were able to donate $5,200 from the sales of the wine to East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, a national organization that builds homes for people who do not have the means to own a home.
Since Katrina, Habitat for Humanity has been busy in the parish building hundreds of homes for low-income residents who lost everything in the storm.
 Local wine merchants, Charlene and Dwayne Shockley, left donated a check for $5,200 to East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity Development Director Caitlin Scanlan, third from left. The money comes from the sale of Resurrection wine which was inspired by a painting created by local artist Phil Galatas, extreme right. Standing next to Galatas, and holding a copy of the Resurrection painting is Donne Penny, who handles sales and marketing for the Resurrection poster. |
“The painting was just perfect and really expressed the idea of rebirth,” Charlene Shockley said.
Galatas said the inspiration for the painting was “sudden and striking.”
“It was something so strong that came rising up from within me,” Galatas said. “I just had to stop what I was doing and create it.”
Dwayne Shockley was so impressed with the work of art that he contacted a winemaker friend of his in Sonoma Valley, Calif., and asked him to create a new wine that would symbolize the concept of resurrection.
Dwayne said Resurrection is merlot wine that is a “smooth rich wine with attractive fruitiness and the subtle complexity that derives from barrel ageing.”
He added that his winemaking friend will soon come out with a white, chardonnay version of Resurrection.
Dwayne managed to get several local restaurants to help out in his charity. The restaurants agreed to donate a portion of their profits from the sale of Resurrection to Habitat for Humanity.
But Dwayne is not finished with his fundraising.
“This is an on-going thing,” Dwayne said.
He plans to raise enough money to build one Habitat home, and he, Charlene, and the participating restaurants will help to erect the house.
“They (Habitat for Humanity) are an amazing organization,” Dwayne said. “They don’t just build houses. They teach the new homeowners how to be financially responsible, and other skills.”
The Shockleys and Galatas are also planning an art show for sometime in October to help raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Galatas had already donated 200 prints of his art to the effort.
To purchase copies of the “Resurrection” poster, call Donna Penny at 985-774-1981, and to learn about East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, or to volunteer, call its Slidell office at 985-639-0656.
You can also go to www.resurrectionwine.com to learn more about the wine and where to purchase.
