11/12-Graeme Russell, Marty Van Ness,

Graeme Russell-Brand Ambassador of The Macallan

The Macallan of Scotland and Lalique, the French crystal house, have come together to help raise money and awareness for people for whom water itself is a luxury. Lalique marks the 150th anniversary of Rene Lalique’s birth, by using the ancient “cire perdue” or “lost wax” method to craft the decanter that will hold the Macallan. 


The Macallan has created its oldest and rarest expression ever bottled – a 64-year-old single malt -- to travel the globe on an 8-month expedition to raise money for charity: water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.  


The decanter and a taste of Macallan 64 travelled through Asia before coming to the US where the decanter and a full bottle of the precious whisky will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on November 15.  


Leading up to the final auction, we are auctioning off small tastes of the 64 year old liquid from special reserves around the world; all proceeds from the 11 global auctions will also benefit charity: water. So far, we’ve raised $145,000 in charity leading up to the biggest auction at Sotheby’s on November 15th.



Marty Van Ness  Supervisor - Butterball Turkey Talk Line

Butterball® Turkey Talker Marty Van Ness has been talking turkey for more than seventeen years. Marty graduated from Rosary College/Dominican University in Illinois with a degree in home economics. Interviews of note include The Today Show, WLS-TV Chicago (ABC), and WMAQ-TV Chicago (NBC).  “The thing that keeps me coming back each year is the opportunity to share this all-American holiday with so many wonderful callers. We answer their questions and instill confidence to help them make Thanksgiving memorable and delicious.” Speaking very softly, an Ohio woman called the Turkey Talk-Line® for advice on preparing a frozen Butterball turkey breast. When Marty asked the woman to speak up, the woman confessed she was hiding from her husband, who was sorely disappointed that she bought a breast instead of a whole turkey. Apparently, he was concerned the breast meat would be dry and was looking forward to enjoying leftovers after Thanksgiving dinner. Marty recommended she cook the breast at 325 degrees to an internal temperature of 170 degrees to ensure tender, juicy meat. Marty also suggested she purchase an additional breast for her husband’s leftovers. The woman called back days later to say that the tips and the turkey breast were a big hit with her husband after all!