How a Rare Bottle of Bourbon and a Basketball Blessed by the Pope, Signed by John Calipari are Helping Aid Tornado-Ravaged Kentucky
Rev. Jim Sichko shows off his auction lot, which raised nearly $17,000 for western Kentucky tornado relief. (Photo: Rev. Jim Sichko)
Two auction lots donated by a priest in Lexington, Kentucky, sold to one buyer for a combined $16,698. One lot featured a rare bottle of Buffalo Trace’s 1995 O.F.C. Vintage Bourbon, while the other had a basketball signed by University of Kentucky men’s basketball head coach John Calipari and blessed by Pope Francis himself. The funds will go toward recovery in western Kentucky from a Dec. 10 tornado that caused widespread destruction in the area.
Rev. Jim Sichko, who donated the lots, showed the sales in a tweet.
YOU CAN NEVER SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH!!
$16,698 was raised from my WESTERN KY TORNADO AID AUCTION! The same recipient won both the OFC VINTAGE 1995 – Buffalo Trace & the COACH CAL SIGNED POPE FRANCIS BASKETBALL!!#missionaryofmercy #weallcandoourpart pic.twitter.com/PbBNPW8ytR
— Father Jim Sichko (@JimSichko) January 5, 2022
“I want to thank Coach Cal because I bugged the hell out of him to get it, I’m just being very honest,” Sichko said, according to WAVE 3.
Sichko traveled to Vatican City and gifted the basketball signed by Calipari and the bottle of bourbon to Pope Francis, who is a known fan of whiskey. The pope returned the items to Sichko and, according to WDRB, blessed the basketball.
The bidding for the bourbon started out at $2,000, while the basketball began at $1,000.
Beam Suntory donated $1 million to the tornado relief, while the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit had raised about $3.4 million as of Dec. 22.
Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskeys and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of whiskey in your morning email, sign up for our Daily Dram Gram!
Follow The Daily Pour:
About The Daily Pour
Founded by Dan Abrams, The Daily Pour is the ultimate drinking guide for the modern consumer, covering spirits, non-alcoholic and hemp beverages. With its unique combination of cross-category coverage and signature rating system that aggregates reviews from trusted critics across the internet, The Daily Pour sets the standard as the leading authority in helping consumers discover, compare and enjoy the best of today's evolving drinks landscape.
