Girls Night Out

• Read Ann Butler’s report on Girls Night Out in her Neighbors column in The Durango Herald

• See a gallery of photos from the Paparazzi Photo Booth sponsored by IlluminArts Photo. Password: girlsnight

More than 200 women – and a few brave men – gathered at Blue Lake Ranch’s Ridgewood Events Center on Friday, Aug. 24, to celebrate “An Evening of Shining Stars,” the fourth annual Girls Night Out fund-raising event that benefits the Women’s Resource Center.

Though rain earlier in the afternoon challenged event volunteers as they readied for the evening, by the time the first guests arrived, the clouds had dissipated and golden sunshine lit up the lawn and two party tents set up for the fun. Guests spent their time between the Event Center, where Sari Brown and her crew with They Yellow Carrot had assembled a delicious and fun buffet of appetizers; the “spa tent,” where they could pamper themselves with massages, manicures, up-dos, and other delightful services; or the main tent, where fortune-tellers read palms or tarot cards and the silent and live auctions tempted bidders.

WRC Board President Margie Deane Gray toasted to the Women’s Resource Center’s 25th anniversary and the assembled guests, whose support makes it possible for the Center to serve more than 800 women a year. Gray also honored the oldest woman at the party, 91-year-ld Julie Thomas, and the youngest, 19-year-old Alena Egner.

All in all, the evening generated $30,000 for the Women’s Resource Center, funds that will be used to keep our doors open five days a week to women who come to us to find the resources they need to take care of themselves and their families.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our event!