One of the events we look forward to every year at Beatitudes Campus is Power of the Purse. This signature fundraising event, now in its eighth year, transforms the campus into a festive atmosphere for an afternoon of fun, fashion, friends – and of course purses! We enjoy great food prepared and served by our own Dining Services, drink champagne, visit with old and new friends, and of course, shop for lots of gently loved designer purses! This year, Power of the Purse will be held on Sunday, November 4, from 2-5 PM, and we invite you to join us! For our residents, we have special pricing for tickets—$45 (normally $95).
For those of you who are new to the campus, Power of the Purse (POP) is a party (on a grand scale), where gently loved designer purses of every stripe and color are auctioned. Why do we do this fundraising event every year? We do it for you, our residents. You inspire us every day and you give us purpose. All proceeds from this event support our residents and campus programming. Funds that are raised benefit the Resident Assistance Fund, our scholarship program that helps our residents who have outlived their personal assets. Funds also support programs that engage us and exercise our minds as well as our bodies.
Last year, Power of the Purse raised more than $200,000 to directly benefit our campus. This year we expect to raise even more – a testament to the power of the purse – and to the power of you, our residents! We have raised more than $1 million in the past seven years, thanks to you!
On the day of the event, the areas around Town Plaza and the Rose Garden are transformed for a day into celebratory areas – complete with a giant tent and red carpet! The bistro becomes a room full of purses, where we have a silent auction of beautiful purses. We also offer “Purses with Prizes”, where every purse has a gift card or coupon worth at least $25. But, it's not all about purses – we will have a “wine and fine spirits pull” where you can secure a bottle of wine or fine spirits that are favorites of the Beatitudes Campus Board of Directors and the campus leadership team. If purses are not your thing, we will also auction off sports packages, spa treatments, arts packages, firefighter ride-alongs and other fun items.
Once you have placed your bid on your favorite purse, you can wander toward the Rose Garden where you can enjoy a casino area, Scotch and Tequila tasting and more food and fun.
Near the end of the event, the big white tent in the Promenade Mall becomes alive auction and fashion show of purses, where our awesome auctioneer, Letitia Frye, will demonstrate how much passion she has for Beatitudes Campus. Many of you will remember Letitia from years past – she puts on a show you won't want to miss!
Power of the Purse is also about Power of community. It's so heartwarming to see about 400 community and corporate leaders, campus friends, residents and family visit with each other, enjoy the beautiful and bountiful food prepared by our own campus chefs, buy purses and experience the power of Beatitudes Campus. The generosity and fun that we experience on this day cannot be matched!
Of course, an event of this magnitude would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. This year, the weitz company and Blue Cross Blue Shield are the Title Sponsors for the event, Morrison Community Living and Angell Marketing are Red Carpet sponsors, and Orcutt|Winslow and JP Griffin Group are our Partner Sponsors. The Beatitudes Campus Auxiliary, as well as board members, vendors and staff have also stepped up to the plate to become sponsors. We are so thankful for the enduring support of our sponsors—they have such a passion for the residents and campus. With two weeks to go before the event, we have raised $139,927 in sponsorships!
An event of this size requires lots of planning and helping hands to make Power of the Purse successful! The Fund Development team manages the event, and nearly 30 staff volunteers from most of the departments across campus help on the day of the event. About 20 Washington High School Honor Society students help us set up and act as greeters during the event. We are so grateful to our Power of the Purse Steering Committee made up of community leaders and campus friends. This dedicated group has been securing donations – designer purses and other auction items – to make this day a great success. But mostly, it is you, our residents, who give us inspiration and encouragement to put on Power of the Purse every year. You are the power!
I invite you to join the party and buy your ticket from the Foundation Office (in Agelink). You can join your friends and neighbors and celebrate the Power of the Purse! Please call Barbara Wood (ext. 16136) if you have any questions.*
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