2017 July

June saw several local individuals and businesses raising support for NWAWS in very unique ways. Read below to hear their stories and how they made an impact.

Mom But So Much More: The Fashion Show

Our friends at Gap organized and hosted an amazingly fun night celebrating fashion and motherhood and supporting moms who need extra support by raising funds for NWAWS. More than 63 volunteers spent more than 300 total hours planning, organizing, and working the event to make the inaugural year of Mom But So Much More: The Fashion Show a success.

We are forever grateful to the litany of sponsors who provided goodies and silent auction items, the beautiful models who showed their confidence on the runway and the volunteers who brought it all together. Most of all thank you to Chantel Shuler from Gap Kids, who has gone from Thrift Store volunteer to 3rd Party event creator and now is our most recent board member. Your vision and tenacity truly made the event a success. The Fashion Show raised almost $6500 with an additional $3000 expected to come in from matching grants.

Want to learn more about the Fashion Show? Check out their website at www.mombutsomuchmore.com and make plans to attend next year!

Bikes, Brews, and No Abuse

Longtime friends of NWAWS, Regina and Burke Gower along with their friends—the Culhanes and the Winchesters—united their love of cycling with their love of local breweries in June to raise funds for our programs. Despite the rain, Bikes, Brews and No Abuse was able to raise nearly $1300. Thank you friends for organizing the event and thank you also to the local breweries and partners who participated or donated to the event: Bentonville Brewing Company, New Province Brewing, Bike Rack Brewing, Black Apple Crossing, Core Public House, Mars, General Mills, Advil, Chapstick, and Goo!

Maude Boutique 3^rd Party Drive

Becca Brisiel, Kelly English and the rest of the Maude Squad put their heads and hearts together to support our shelter with a donation drive that ran throughout the month of June. Customers who brought in gently used clothing items to a Maude store were treated to a special discount. At the end of June, NWAWS hauled off at least 6 car loads of donated clothing—much more than we originally anticipated!

Visit the Maude blog to read their interview with our Volunteer Coordinator. Here’s a sneak peek.

“There are always volunteer opportunities (www.nwaws.org/volunteer-application) but what I’d love to see is young women in our community advocating and being ambassadors for our mission. We need their passion! If anyone is interested in being an ambassador for our shelter, please reach out to me at akinder@nwaws.org and we can talk about how your ideas, skills and passion can meet our needs. There’s so much room for growth and creativity.”

So far in 2017, friends of NWAWS have raised more than $11,500 through 3rd Party Fundraisers. Have an idea for a 3rd Party Fundraiser? Contact Merritt Royal at mroyal@nwaws.org or visit our Support Our Shelter page for more information.

For the second year in a row, Regina and Burke Gower combined their fitness and cycling interests through organizing a ride to benefit the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter (NWAWS): Bikes, Brews and No Abuse. This year, the ride was around Lake Atalanta in Rogers, and involved 30 riders. Also partnering that day were three breweries and one cidery, all of which committed a percentage of their sales to benefit NWAWS: Bike Rack Brewing Co, Core, New Province, and Black Apple Crossing.

Domestic abuse is a personal issue for Regina.

“After my sister Natalie was killed by her husband, I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to help other victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse and violence isn’t just about being physically hit. It includes emotional abuse and financial abuse, too. My sister was never hit, but we saw abuse in other forms.

I first became involved with a domestic violence shelter in Muskogee where I was living at the time my sister died. When I moved to NWA, I reached out to the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter to see how I could help. What is most important to me is to make sure other families don’t go through the pain and grief my family went through. If I can help one victim of abuse or that family member by giving them the resources they need, or the courage, then all my work to raise awareness is worth it.”

Regina and Burke at Champions In Heels 2016

Regina and Burke have been volunteers with NWAWS since 2011. Regina also serves on planning committees for Champions on Wheels, a family-focused outdoor bicycling event, and Silent Witness, an awareness event honoring the memories of Arkansas homicide victims who lost their lives due to domestic violence.

Bikes, Brews, and No Abuse raised almost $1300. This equates to providing 1 victim of violence 2 weeks of safety from her abuser.

Thank you, Regina and Burke, for being the voice for those who have lost theirs due to domestic abuse!

If you want to combine your talents and interests with a fundraiser for NWAWS, you can contact Merritt Royal Weeks, mroyal@nwaws.og, or read more here.

Want to be a champion like Regina and Burke? Apply to volunteer today!

Fun with a Purpose: Recent 3rd Party Fundraisers