Fundraiser changes format to get more men involved
It’s Shine time!
Shine, a Dress for Success fundraiser, will be held Oct. 25 in the Jacqui Shumiatcher Room at the Conexus Arts Centre.
“We made the decision to change the format a little bit this year,” explained Lenita Knudsen, co-chair of the event and vicechair of the Dress for Success board. “In the past, we’ve had sitdown dinners and fashion shows and that sort of thing.
“So this year, we decided to streamline a little bit and do away with some of that programming that requires so much planning ahead of time.”
This year’s volunteer-run fundraiser will feature a cocktail party setting.
The evening will include three raffles — for a wine-themed prize, for a hard liquor-themed prize, and for a prize bundle that includes everything from a painting to a shopping spree at a local boutique, and a gift certificate for dinner at a Regina restaurant.
The party atmosphere will include a photo booth staffed by a professional photographer, who will take party shots of guests.
The feature entertainment for the evening will be duelling piano players from Saskatoon.
In past years, the Dress for Success fundraiser has targeted women. Last year, for example, the theme was “the little black dress.” The year before, the event featured a diva makeover.
But because Regina already has an annual diva-themed fundraiser (Divas Night Out was held Oct. 9 at the Casino Regina Show Lounge to raise funds for two Regina crisis shelters for women and children fleeing domestic abuse), Knudsen and co-chair Juanita Dielschneider were looking for something to deviate from the diva idea.
“With Dress for Success Regina, while we are operated and managed by women, and our clients are all women, we think that we need to urge men to get involved in whatever way they’re comfortable with,” Knudsen said. “For now, the best we can think of is fundraising. So we tried to tailor an event that would be more inclusive of couples, and to get the ladies to bring their partners with them.”
The decorations and vibe for the fundraiser are Great Gatsby inspired.
“It’s not a costume party. We’re not expecting people to come dressed in that way,” Knudsen explained, adding that the organizing committee’s attire will no doubt “give a nod to that era.”