For once, alcohol benefit students. A local winery will be holding an AHS themed day which will help raise money for student athletes who need help paying for uniforms.

The event will be hosted and held by Philip Carter Winery, located in Hume, Virginia. It will take place on Saturday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The reason why Philip Carter Winery is holding what they call “Annandale High School Day” is to bring back alumni to enjoy wine and participate in a competition.

Alumni are encouraged to dress in their best red and white outfits to show pride in the high school they attended. Those who show the most school spirit will win “most spirited” among the attendees. The winners of the contest will receive a bottle of wine. Anyone who attends and wears red and white will get a 10 percent discount on a bottle of wine.

There will also be food available, more specifically, a  D.C. food truck which attendees will be able to buy from, and live music performances by Bad Hair Day, a varied band with a central rock focus. The musicians in the band are also AHS graduates.

The winery was founded by Philip Carter Strother and remains open for every day of the week. Strother, along with his wife, are AHS alumni. Among the group of smaller investors, Steve Mills and Arthur Resier also graduated from AHS.

Strother was in the class of 1987. He played on the Atoms football team when he attended.

“I have very fond memories of being part of the football program at AHS, during which many life lessons were taught and nurtured by the coaching staff, such as teamwork, perseverance and leadership,” Strother said.

This year will be the seventh annual AHS Day, and they also hold a silent auction as well. The auction will be giving away clothing from AHS. There will also be a raffle for a one night at Inn at Vineyards Crossing.

In the beginning, Strother saw more people from the class of 1987-89. However, over the years, a variety of alumni have attended the event. He now expects a few hundred attendants to come this year.

Strother enjoys this event because it is another way to reconnect with people in person since it is an anticipated gathering.

“It is always good see classmates,” Strother said. “As with most these days, we all stay connected through Facebook and other social media platforms, but to have a venue and a specific event to come together with friends and family is an wonderful opportunity to nurture and sustain our relationships.”

Strother remembers why he still wants to continue to help AHS through fundraising.

“In the 80s, when I attended AHS, the school was a leader in the nation in advancing a diverse, multicultural learning environment that has now become the standard in America,” Strother said. “The school successfully integrated a comprehensive cross section of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.The school maintained a high level of school spirit, and the teachers were engaged and passionate about the success and development of all their students.

Strother hopes to continue this tradition and wants to take the next step in contributing more by fundraising in the future because Philip Carter Winery wants to help students who need it the most.