Bracelet, bike and bonhomie shared center stage Friday evening during the Women's Resource Center's Preview Party.
Held at Federico's Design Jewelers downtown, the party showcased some of the upscale items up for raffle at the 13th annual fund-raiser scheduled for this Saturday night at the Governor's Hall in the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. Boasting a theme of Evening of Espionage in honor of the year, the party will feature an appearance by 007 himself, James Bond — or a local facsimile thereof.
The black-tie optional Extravaganza will again have its signature fund-raising item of a Harley-Davison motorcycle: a 2007 Electra-Glide Classic arranged by Classic Motor Sports. If the winner chosen Saturday night from a limited sale of 1,000 raffle tickets does not want the motorcycle, he or she can choose between a 2007 Mazda Miata, arranged by Grand Traverse Auto, or $15,000 in cash.
Also making the rounds of wrists Friday evening was a bracelet up for grabs in the traditional Federico's giving purchasers good odds for a win. The final top tier raffle item is the Caring Works Fund-raiser that offers a travel prize from Passageways Travel. The Extravaganza will also feature hundreds of other donated items available during a silent auction.
"This is a roomful of just the most kindest, most wonderful people you've ever met,” said Susan Kinney Friday evening, who co-chairs the event with Barb Benson. "We are so lucky in this community.”
With approximately half of their annual budget garnered from fund-raising and the Women's Resource Center Thrift Shop, the annual Extravaganza provides the largest single fund-raising boost to the bottom line. The organization, which served 1,700 families in 2006 in the Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau and southern Antrim counties, receives the rest of its funding from federal, state and local support.
"It's a great event, the main goal is to raise as much money as we can for the center to help the families and victims of domestic violence,” said Jennifer Coleman, co-chair of the corporate sponsorship steering committee for the Extravaganza.
Volunteers are key to the Extravaganza's annual success, just as the 150-200 program volunteers are critical to the success of the Women's Resource Center. Interim executive director Jo Bullis started as a volunteer herself in 1989 and joined the staff as program director in 1992.
"The support that we receive from the community is really critical to the services we provide,” said Bullis, adding of the Extravaganza: "It's a very exciting time and not only do we rely on the community for financial support but we have many volunteers who really help us pull this whole event together — it wouldn't happen without the volunteers.”
Tickets for the Women's Resource Center Extravaganza 007 event, scheduled for Saturday, February 17, from 6 p.m. until midnight, are $125 per person and are still available. Call the center at 941-1210 or purchase them via their Web site at www.womensresourcecenter.org. Raffle tickets for the signature raffle of the Harley-Davison motorcycle are also available for purchase via the Web site.