Friend of Whiskey House, Auctioneer Tom Riles - Where Purpose Meets Profession

When you participate in hundreds of live auction fundraisers each year like we do at Whiskey House, you get to know the guys on the mic. The auctioneers. The guys and gals who talk fast and take everyone's money. For good of course.

One of Whiskey House's favorite auctioneers is Tom Riles. If you were ever a member of the live audience of The Ellen Show, you'll recall that Tom opened for Ellen for 16 years, warming up the crowd prior to the show. He's also the co-founder of Life of Dad, a world-wide community of dads that celebrates the adventure of fatherhood.

Being a dad is what led Tom into the auctioneer business. As he did last night at the Enduring Hearts 11th Annual Bourbon Gala & Auction presented by Genuine Parts Company in Atlanta, Tom often tells the story of his eldest daughter who was born with a heart defect and has required two heart surgeries, (she's doing great!!!), and how that prompted him to give back by helping nonprofits with their fundraising efforts! Thankfully for the rest of us, it's now his fulltime profession!

A few things the team at Whiskey House loves about Tom:

• He'll shush a room if they're being loud...politely and professionally, but he'll do it. Mad respect. Hate it when a room talks over the folks on the mic.

• He's pretty patient with whoever from Whiskey House is introducing our Tasting Experience live auction item. We tell him we only need 45 seconds, but it sometimes takes a full minute...would you believe a minute and 15 seconds, to educate an audience about Whiskey House Nashville.

• His jacket-shoe combos. Fabulous.

• The way he "picks on" donors, uses humor in his craft, and gets the most out of the room ... he truly knows how to engage an audience at a fundraiser

• His heart for his family and every nonprofit organization he works with.

The Enduring Hearts event was a huge success, with some truly generous people giving a lot towards this amazing nonprofit - the only national nonprofit dedicated to funding critical research to increase longevity and improve the quality of life for children with a transplanted heart.

Whiskey House raised $14,500 between the live and silent auction combined, and as always, it will be our privilege to share our one-of-a-kind whiskey experience with a group of generous donors.