2016 Holiday Party and Live Auction
– Julianna Iran
Every year, one of the most popular FWSF events is the end of the year Holiday Party. 2016 wasn’t any different. The Holiday Party and Live Auction in December had a successful turnout filled with members, prospective members, food, wine and fun! The holiday party is an opportunity for members to network, celebrate members and raise money for the organization. For instance, Kathleen Nielsen was recognized as the 2016 Distinguished Member of the Year for her contribution to the organization, including her implementation of FWSF’s technology initiatives. In addition, the auction was able to help raise over $13,000 with items like a coffee date with Financial Woman of the Year, Debbie Messemer, and golf lessons from PGA professional Deven DeLuca. But the most notable item was the 60th Anniversary red velvet cake made by the endowment committee where each slice went for $600 a piece!
Personally, it was a proud moment for me. This was the first FWSF event that my husband attended. I was proud to show off the organization, the event and the many successful friends that I have made through FWSF. He met many of the women who I am in the FWSF Book Club with, and women who are part of the membership committee, which I co-Chair. He finally could see what it was I was spending so much time doing and whom I was doing it with. He had always thought that the organization was like an extracurricular club but after attending the event he realized it was more like a “nonprofit company”… a “thriving nonprofit company that is run by volunteers.”
Unfortunately, my husband was one of three men in the room I wondered why more FWSF women don’t invite their husbands to more events, especially the holiday party. Wouldn’t this be a great opportunity for us to encourage men to help spearhead the FWSF cause or to share with them the things that are important to us?
I hope to bring my husband to more FWSF events and just like I finally got him into the habit of composting, eating less meat, putting dirty dishes into the dish washer, using his calendar so he doesn’t double book, separating the laundry into whites and colors, … I hope to make it a habit where he can actively live out FWSF’s mission’s too.
