Girls of all ages turned out for Girls Night Out, one of the big fundraisers for the Women’s Resource Center, at the end of August.
That included Mother Nature – hey, she’s a girl – who brought heavy rain to the event held for the second year at LePlatt’s Pond in Bayfield. The sun came out and created a double rainbow as the party ended. Beautiful, but the ceasing of precipitation meant several people left their umbrellas behind. Stop by the Women’s Resource Office if you’re one of them to see if yours is there.
Girls Night Out is a night of entertainment – Tami Graham served as disc jockey, Malia Durbano brought instruments and led a drum circle, and the Matahoola Belly Dancers amazed.
It’s a night of raising funds with great auction items, funds that will support programs such as Girls to Women, Women to Girls, resource referrals for women struggling with legal, housing and other issues and lots of classes, panels and events meant to improve the wellbeing of women and families in our community. Funds in the realm of $35,000, which is down some from last year, but still a good haul for an event.
And of course, there’s lots of great food because one rule of party throwing is that you’ve got to keep guests fueled. Hot Tomatoes catered this year with a summery menu. Two grilling stations served soy-marinated beef skewers with cilantro-lime sour cream; jerk chicken with a tropical fruit sauce; marinated grilled vegetables; barbecue ribs served with spicy and sweet dipping sauces; and grilled pineapple.
Two tables presented luau pork served with a skinny Hawaiian slaw; roasted salmon served with a pineapple-habanera chutney; a Caribbean fruit salad with Myers Dark Rum; cucumber slices topped with tuna tartare; Caribbean shrimp bruschetta; and endive leaves filled with herb goat cheese and honey-roasted walnuts.
One good thing about mini-desserts is that you can try more than one guilt-free. The choices at Girls Night Out were mini-key lime pies; mini-coconut cream pies; sugar cookies dipped in chocolate and macadamia nuts; and Animas Chocolate Co. chocolate.
Kudos to the organizing committee: Mandy Miller-Winn, Krii Black, Pamela Hasterok, Shauna Agnew, Margie Deane Gray, Jamie Wienk, Liz Mora, Christy Schaerer, Barbara Shore, Amy Long, Ginny Segerlund, Megan Aus and Morgan Howell.
On Wednesday,the WRC is sponsoring an Empowerment Workshop, an evening to meet and connect with local female leaders and hear about their experiences. It starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Powerhouse Science Center Theater, and will feature La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff, former Durango Mayor Leigh Meigs, Durango-Farmington Coca-Cola Bottling general manager Meredith Mapel and Women’s Resource Center Executive Director Liz Mora. B.J. Boucher will be the moderator.
The panel will be followed by a screening of the film “14 Women,” featuring powerful women currently serving in Congress.
The event is free for members, and beverages will be available for purchase.
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Enjoying glorious weather for their birthdays are Larry Hjermstad, Lynn Partridge, Marion Wengler, Westly Moore, Robert Moore, Patricia Anderson, Elaine Honold, Kermit Knudsen, Norma Engman, Steve Sproul, David Shipps, Jim Sutherland, Peggy Sharp, Clyde James, Greer Bohan and Valerie Beaudette.
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Bill and Susan Flint are celebrating their anniversary at the best time of year.
