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 3rd 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.