YWCA FUNDRAISING EVENT BROUGHT OUT THE BIG NAMES >>>

Sunday morning over 200 women (plus a few brave dudes) infiltrated Hotel Murano's Bicentennial Pavilion for the very first YWCA Glam that Gives fundraising event.

Created serendipitously through a random Facebook status update, Glam that Gives quickly became a hot-ticket and a low-cost way for community members to both shop and donate to the YWCA.  One woman's Facebook plea began a whirlwind of idea boosting: Take my dress that I no longer need, and in return, make a donation to the YWCA. 

(Glam That Gives preparation PHOTO CREDIT: Steph DeRosa)

Marketing Coordinator for the YWCA Kelly McDonald saw this as an opportunity to spearhead one helluva  fundraiser. I, for one, was not going to miss it.

Emceed by TV Tacoma's Amanda Westbrooke, gorgeous local women strutted their stuff on the catwalk during a crowd-pleasing runway show that brought lots of hoots ‘n' hollers from everyone in attendance.  Notable models in high fashion were Tacoma's Mayor, Marilyn Strickland, Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, and, of course, my good friend Melanie Manista-Rushforth of Rushforth Wheels. 

(Melanie Manista-Rushforth of Rushforth Wheels PHOTO CREDIT: Steph DeRosa)

My favorite dress, and the one that meant the most to me as I watched it flow down the runway, was Bandito Betty's wedding dress.  Gorgeous the day she got married, and gorgeous on whomever might own it next.

By receiving donations of over 200 gently used party dresses, 300 pairs of shoes and 100 purses, the Glam that Gives event raised over $18,000 to better the lives of battered women taken in by the YWCA.  Shoes were sold for as little as $5 a pair while the average dress sold for somewhere between $25 and $75.  One specialty dress sold for $300 - the most any item went for at Glam that Gives.  A small silent auction and a brief "raise the paddle" exercise also contributed to the YWCA's monetary haul.

LINK: YWCA Glam That Gives Weekly Volcano Photo Hot Spot