Deal Ladies Christmas Luncheon & Bazaar

Description

Over 2 decades ago, a group of our female members, affectionately referred to by themselves as "The Deal Ladies", began a tradition of getting together at the Club during the holiday season. After the first few years, the ladies decided they wanted to make a difference during the holiday season and began to collect monetary donations against themselves to donate to a local charity. This small get-together has turned into our Annual Deal Ladies Christmas Luncheon & Holiday Bazaar.

The ladies selected a local charitable organization, 180 Turning Lives Around, as the recipient of their donations. 180 Turning Lives Around is dedicated to assisting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Local small businesses are asked for a tax deductible donation to participate and sell their goods. Lunch is served and donations are collected. The event is sold-out every year. Through the generosity of our members and their guests, the event has raised over $170,000 since 2010, and, as result of the luncheon, some have volunteered with the organization.

Implementation

The event is planned in September. One of our staff members works closely with our Member Event Chair to organize vendor participation, member reservations, entertainment and seating. Members reserve for the event through our website.

The members are eager for reservations to open up, as the event is limited to 150 people, and the event sold-out this year within 7 days, forcing us to create a waiting list. Members who could not get a reservation did attend the vendor portion of the event. Donations were also sent into the office prior to the event by members who were unable to attend. The overwhelming sentiment among the members is that this event is not only a wonderful opportunity to spend time with friends, but a chance to make a difference in their community. This year's event, held after this submission was created, raised $26,000.