Power of the Purse event for early childhood initiatives

Women United Asking for Purse Donations

United Way’s volunteer Women United group has set Thursday May 9, 2013 as the date for the next Power of the Purse. The event will be held at Turnstone, a fitting location as a United Way partner agency that provides programming for early childhood learning. Power of the Purse is Women United’s signature fundraising event for early childhood initiatives and includes live and silent auctions of extraordinary purses, time for networking and plenty of social time.

Women United members are currently asking for purses to be donated for the auction at the event. Designer and celebrity purses have made Power of the Purse successful in the past and volunteers are hoping to recruit similar, quality handbags for 2013. In years past, celebrities such as Heather Headley, Shelley Long and Robin Roberts have donated purses as well as local artists, such as Terry Ratliff and Karen Moriarty, who have designed purses.

“This fun, unique event has been very well-attended and raised thousands of dollars for local early childhood services,” said Irene Walters, executive director of university relations and communications at IPFW, United Way board member and Women United co-chair. “We are hopeful that women will donate purses again for this important fundraising event.”

“If you stop to think about who you know and who those people know and so on, you really may have connections to celebrities or high profile individuals who would be willing to donate a purse to this event,” added Debra Williams, senior vice president/chief human resources officer at Parkview Health and United Way’s board chair.

“Something as simple as a purse that is hidden away in a closet can really go a long way to helping young children in our community. I encourage those who can to donate handbags to Women United.”
If you have a purse you would like to donate or know a celebrity willing to donate, please contact Kelly Wehman at 469-4009 or kellyw@uwacin.org.