(MyrtleBeachOnline) – Since 1974, members of the North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club have been working together to make life better for others in their community. On April 19, they are presenting an annual fundraiser, the Purses with Purpose Charity Event, at the Marina Inn in the Grande Dunes. The event, which promises to be a time of fun and frivolity, begins at 6 p.m.
Many kinds of purses and numerous other items, services or trips will be auctioned in a live auction and a silent auction. There will be a buffet, many filled baskets, opportunities to get beautiful jewelry and much more. The proceeds will go to charitable organizations as they always do, said Joyce Thomas, a member of the publicity committee. “This event really allows us to give,” she said.
Some of the designer and name brand purses are donated by women celebrities and professional women. A live auction is the main event. “Gorgeous” male models of varied ages will “dance and prance” to show off the purses. “You don’t know what the purses are going to go for,” Thomas said.
Martin’s Heating and Air is the title sponsor of the event, but many businesses and others have continued to support the event over the years and there are new ones this year. Last year, the club raised $28,000 just in sponsorships and about 300 women attended the event. Annually, they give thousands of dollars to numerous local charities benefiting many segments of the population. The NMBWC has focused on a lot of different issues, including domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley, a long-time member of the NMB Woman’s Club, recently signed a proclamation proclaiming April as National Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness month in the city. For that occasion, members of the club planted almost 500 “Pinwheels for Prevention” in a garden at the intersection of Robert Edge Parkway and Highway 17.
According to the club’s site, the Children’s Trust of South Carolina is leading the campaign to plant Pinwheels for Prevention to bring awareness to the cause, estimating that child abuse costs South Carolina about $1 billion annually in direct and indirect expenses and can have devastating long-term effects on individuals.On May 3 at 6:30 p.m., the club is hosting the human trafficking movie “Sold” at the Cinema 12 Theatre, 10177 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach.
The film is billed as an “insightful and chilling movie, based on the international best-selling novel by Patricia McCormick, and inspired by true accounts.”It is the story of a young girl whose journey takes her from a rural village in Nepal to a gritty brothel-prison in India.
“The film illustrates the brutality of child trafficking, which affects millions of children around the globe every year. Globally, the average age of a trafficked girl is 13.”Tickets are $10 and the deadline for purchasing them is April 26. They may be purchased at www.tugg.com/events/sold-nltf.
For more information, call 815-322-6623.Tickets to the Purses with Purpose event are $60 and may be purchased at the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce or online at www.nmbwcpurses.eventbrite.com. For more on the event, call 843-450-400
