When Kelli and Rod Baxter relocated from northeast Ohio to Naples more than a decade ago, they weren’t looking to slip quietly into retirement. The couple, who are now in their 60s, wanted something more fulfilling than long days on the golf course.
“We like being in this environment where we feel like we’re making a difference and doing something constructive,” Rod says. They turned their focus to nonprofits dedicated to equality and social change, especially those helping vulnerable children. NCF, with its systematic approach to funding education, healthcare and food security initiatives for thousands of Collier County kids, was a natural match.
The Baxters started volunteering for the foundation’s top fundraiser 10 years ago. “The first time we volunteered, we didn’t really have any concept of the magnitude of the Naples Winter Wine Festival,” Rod says. Planning for the following year begins the day after the last cork is popped, with volunteers filling crucial year-round roles.
Photography by Christina Bankson
nwwf ncf longtime volunteers impact baxters
Kelli and Rod draw on their leadership experience in higher education and project management, handling details big and small to help the festival run seamlessly.
It takes more than 300 registered helpers to bring the festival to life. Some work behind the scenes, sending mailers and setting up displays on event days. Others are there on auction day, hyping guests when they arrive and helping auctioneers spot paddle raises.
The Baxters call themselves “worker bees,” moving comfortably among tasks and stepping in wherever they are needed throughout the year. They may etch wine glasses, stuff gift bags for patrons, greet guests with a smile in the lot room or reorganize the warehouse once the festival is over.
Kelli and Rod draw from their leadership experience—she worked in higher education and leadership development, and he was in project management—to bring order and follow-through to the festival’s many moving parts. Over the years, NCF has come to rely on the Baxters’ sharp eyes for detail and efficiency, paired with their consistent commitment to the group’s mission. “We’ll do whatever it takes to give our time and support so that they can do what they need to do,” Kelli says.
Photography by Christina Bankson
nwwf ncf longtime volunteers impact baxters
The couple volunteers year-round—from taking inventory in August to greeting guests on auction day.
They value the camaraderie among fellow volunteers and the foundation’s effectiveness. One of their most moving experiences has been participating in Meet the Kids Day, where nonprofits that benefit from NCF grants gather to share their missions, often bringing children to share their stories. “The first time you see all the different beneficiaries, it’s a moment that hits you,” Rod says.
For the Baxters, NWWF is more than a fundraiser. Every folded program, every organized lot, every finished task leads to something greater—the chance for a child to see the chalkboard clearly, receive a hearing test or get counseling that changes their future.
And though the festival spans only one weekend each January, its effects, like the Baxters’ dedication, ripple through the community all year long. “It makes our county a better place to live,” Kelli says. “It’s like this snowball that just keeps getting bigger and bigger the further it rolls down the hill.