An evening of pearls, heels and grand entrances is the goal of the Marquette Women’s Center as it hosts its benefit dinner this Saturday.
The eighth annual Evening of Elegance, a benefit dinner for the Marquette Women’s Center and Harbor House, will start with a silent auction at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Landmark Inn. Dinner will follow the auction at 6:30 p.m.
The Kappa Beta Gamma sorority will be working the event and have also been helping organize and fundraise for the event.
Katie Archambeault, a junior art history major and member of Kappa Beta Gamma, has spent a lot of time prepping for the event.
“Kappa Beta Gamma started getting involved painting pins, helping promotion, addressing letters, and we have begun looking into making the Women’s Center our local philanthropy to give our time and energy to,” Archambeault said.
Archambeault said she and all the Kappa Beta Gamma girls are excited for the event. They have been fundraising and planning for months.
One of the projects the girls took on was painting original pins at Hot Plate for everyone who has bought a ticket to the event.
“It will be exciting to see all the months of work coming together to raise money and awareness for such a great cause,” Archambeault said. “It will be a great time with awesome items and amazing food. I don’t know what else people could need.”
Kappa Beta Gamma has also been working on a project related to the history and importance of the Women’s Center.
“Women should be able to count on one another for support in times of need,” Archambeault said. “When one woman suffers from domestic or sexual violence, we all do.”
The Women’s Center houses over 400 victims of domestic violence a year and helps over 4,000 people a year with the telephone crisis line. It is also the oldest Women’s Center in Michigan, established in 1973.
“It becomes our job to not only stand up to violence, but to support those in need. The Women’s Center provides that support, but it also raises awareness to two main issues: domestic violence and sexual violence,” Archambeault said.
Volunteering with the Women’s Center also helps spread the word about domestic and sexual violence throughout campus and Marquette.
“While domestic violence might not be as widespread on campus, sexual violence is there,” Archambeault said. “Our worst fear is that a woman will be taken advantage of and not realize that there are people to go to for help. Not only is the Women’s Center available, but the Health Promotions office as well.”
The Women’s Center offers many different services for women and children who are being domestically abused. Some services available are support groups, counseling, safety planning and help with legal issues.
“When women stand together, we are an unstoppable force. If you have ever been taken advantage of or hurt, you have survived a terrible event and should never have to go through that by yourself,” Archambeault said. “There are groups that are out there who will give you the love and support you need.”
Archambeault said an important message that Kappa Beta Gamma wants to spread is the awareness of the Women’s Center.
“This event is important to me because it is proactively protecting my sisters. Not only biological, but my sisters of Kappa Beta Gamma, my neighbors, and the women I go to school with and all the readers,” Archambeault said.
Archambeault said that she hopes working this event will really help get more awareness out into the community.
“Women do not deserve this treatment and the Women’s Center, Harbor House, HPO and Kappa Beta Gamma feels strongly about this,” Archambeault said.
Tickets for the event are $75. For more information, call (906) 228-2580. The Women’s Center emergency hotline is (906) 226-6611.
