Soroptimists in the Rancho Bernardo and Poway area have renamed and redesigned their big annual fundraiser “Celebration of Courage” to better reflect its mission and beneficiaries, organizers said.
That mission is “empowering women and changing lives. It is what we do,” said North San Diego Soroptimist Debby Swanson, one of the event co-chairs.
Formerly known as “Hats and Heels,” the 11 a.m. Sunday, May 4 event in the Rancho Bernardo Inn’s Aragon Ballroom is designed to raise over $100,000 for the philanthropic efforts of the North San Diego and Poway Soroptimist International chapters.
Activities include a champagne reception with a variety of games where everyone wins a prize for their donation (for example, a $25 chance at the prize wheel will win the donor a $25 gift certificate) and a wine pull. In another game, participants have an opportunity to win a 2.5-carat diamond valued at $350 from Unicorn Jewelry.
The “super silent” auction is being upgraded — those not attending may bid online — and the live auction will mostly offer experiences, such as trips and high-end jewelry. The luncheon will feature additional auctioneer-led games before Leslie Morgan Steiner takes to the stage as keynote speaker.
Steiner is an American author from Washington, D.C. whose 2009 memoir “Crazy Love” detailed how she survived domestic violence. Her book was on The New York Times Best Seller List for three weeks. Steiner has also given a popular TED Talk about why victims stay with abusive partners.
Her talk at the event will be “From the Ivy League to a Gun at My Head: Domestic Violence Myths and Misconceptions.”
Tickets to “Celebration of Courage” are $150 per person, available at tinyurl.com/CelebrationCourage2025. Tickets will only be sold in advance. The deadline to purchase is April 22.
Last year’s event netted $170,000 after expenses, split between the two chapters that work together to women and girls, said North San Diego Soroptimist Shelley Dugan, one of this year’s event co-chairs.
“We raise the bulk of it through sponsorships,” Dugan said.
A large portion of that money — at least $80,000 — goes toward a transitional housing program the two chapters together. Through it, they assist up to five women at a time who have fled domestic violence with their children.
Referred through Crisis House, the women are placed in fully-furnished apartments for 12 to 18 months paid for by the Soroptimists. Upon completion of their program to get them financially independent — it includes educational and career training — the women take all the furniture and other supplies with them to their new homes.
Since the program began in 1997, the Soroptimists have assisted more than 90 families and more than 200 children. The program’s success rate is around 80%, according to the North San Diego Soroptimists’ website..
During the women’s time in the program, which includes working with a case manager, the Soroptimists act as mentors to provide an emotional system to these women as they rebuild their lives.
“We show them comion and hope,” said Dugan, who has been a mentor. “We give them hope that their lives are changing for the better. We listen to them.”
Dugan said one woman she mentored was the mother of four children, all under age 10, including a newborn.
“I would walk with her and her kids and she would talk to me as someone who could be her sounding board,” she said. “I did not give her advice.”
Swanson recalled how as a mentor she helped a woman with young children who spoke Japanese and was learning English. She said they formed a bond and the woman still sends her a card each year on Mother’s Day.
“They are escaping a horrible situation and simply any assistance is welcome,” Swanson said.
Providing five furnished apartments cost $80,000 last year, Swanson said.
The rest of the money raised goes toward a number of philanthropic causes, including grants the chapters provide to help women with their education. Often the recipients are overcoming hardships such as homelessness, addiction, domestic violence or aging out of the foster care system.
Soroptimist International has the Live Your Dream scholarship program, which both chapters . In addition, the North San Diego Soroptimists have created the Continue the Dream and Begin Your Dream scholarships that are unique to their chapter.
Other proceeds local organizations that assist victims of human and sex trafficking, provide empowerment training to high school girls and give scholarships to San Pasqual Academy graduates as they leave the county’s residential high school for foster care youths. They also help women transitioning from a military to civilian career.
“The lives we change … can be seen at the event in a video that will be a tearjerker,” said Poway Soroptimist MaryBeth Furlano, another co-chair.
The redesigned fundraiser, which has gone through a few iterations since it began in 2012, will be “more mission focused and refreshed,” Swanson said.
“Hats and Heels was about having a good time, but not mission focused,” Dugan said.
Sponsorships will be accepted up to event day. They range from $500 to $50,000, with a variety of perks at different amount levels. To become a sponsor, Soroptimist Pam Warnock at 858-204-8624 or [email protected].
Auction items are also still needed. They can be donated through April 18.
“What I like is this is the coming together of women for a common cause of helping women,” Warnock said.
“We want more men to come too,” Swanson added.
Attendees are welcome to dress up in fancy hats and heels if they wish, but that is not required and several of the Soroptimists said they plan to forgo both.
