Ladies Night Out raises over $2,000 for women’s education

On Saturday, in Aberdeen, Bette Worth and Bobbi McCracken invited everyone, near and far, to take part in the crawl-style Ladies Night Out event.

The reception was robust as women explored the shops and vendors participating. All entry fee proceeds went directly toward scholarships for women looking to attend Grays Harbor College. This delightful event was sponsored by PEO Chapter AK in support of this incredible cause.

This fundraiser began at Past and Present Mercantile on Heron Street, where attendees were greeted with charming country music playing, light appetizers, and prosecco upon entry. Immediately, women and business owners mingled, striking up conversations with community members they had never met before.

With $15 at entry, each person was provided tickets, and at every business, they would get a stamp for their participation, which added a strongly engaging factor to the evening. The crawl continued to Harbor Blooms, A Little Bit of Everything, Flawless Esthetics Boutique, and GH Wine Sellers, where vendors such as Pampered Chef, Evergreen Flower Farm, Lunar Tides, Tokeland Candle Works, Brass Hub, and Mary Kay were located.

Spending time at Ladies Night Out had an energy of its own, and it felt as if everyone was filled with joy when choosing to support women and play a part in the event.

Worth and McCracken have been active members of our community for nearly 30 years, and as part of the Downtown Aberdeen Association the two are currently throwing two events per year. As the organizers of this event, they felt it was essential to be out and about.

“We’ve been fundraising in a variety of capacities and a variety of organizations, but this is really the first time we are out,” McCracken said. “We are supporting fundraising for this chapter, having little auctions amongst ourselves, but we decided, let’s do something and involve the community.” With much to chat about, there were also numerous items to view and spaces to explore. Each of these businesses and vendors was a feast for the eyes, with treasures spanning every inch of the space. There was bound to be something for everyone, no matter their personality. The items available in these shops were extensive, including antiques, art, clothing, handmade creations, wine and beauty products. Aberdeen was flourishing with options.

“It’s the core area downtown. So, being our inaugural one, we wanted to start here where we could just get people to move around the block and go to various places. There’s a chance we can expand in the future. Hopefully, there’ll be more businesses we can include,” McCracken said.

Worth continued, “I’ve already heard a number of people say they didn’t know this business existed. We figure if we can get them into the business, that’s the first step into getting them to tell someone else about the business.”

Shops

Past and Present Mercantile is an antique shop divided into two, situated in the heart of downtown. They offer art, vintage clothing, furniture, fabrics, records, and classic, one-of-a-kind collectibles. If you stop by, you will surely be in awe of the all-embracing yet sensitively organized setting.

Every area creates a short-term home for these beautiful relics of a bygone era. If you visit, you may even meet their sweet cat, Leroy, who can often be found lounging around the items for purchase. They replenish the store with more gems every month, ensuring that there is always something unique you may have never seen before.

Past and Present Owner Leroy Sisk said, “It’s 20-some vendors over here, and 30 vendors next door, and each one of them has a different mix. The furniture sells quite well. Nice, quality, older, vintage, and usable furniture, we have a variety of stuff.”

Ladies Night Out became pleasantly packed at Past and Present, which was heartwarming.

Seller at Past and Present Tina Peterson said, “A lot of people I know have been coming in here for a while, just visiting. This is the first time we did this event, so it worked out really well, and we had a nice time. Lots of people on vacation when they’re driving from Ocean Shores, that live in Seattle, and from all over the place.”

Harbor Blooms was next on the crawl list; they have made a name for themselves as florists with a keen eye for placement, beautifully unique bouquets, and displays for many occasions. When you pick up your flowers, you can even buy artisanal chocolates, decorations and candles.

Owner of Harbor Blooms, Tonya Madison, said, “Our customers range from high schoolers that come in to get flowers for prom, then we’ve got flowers for weddings, older people getting married, we do funerals. It’s really a wide variety. We have regular customers who know exactly what they want when they want it. It’s just learning, Getting to know them and what they want.

“Seeing all the people in the community getting out. There were more people in the shop tonight and a lot of new people that have never been here before,” Madison said.” More people tonight than when we do our holiday open house, which used to be a very big event.”

Vendors

Many vendors had kind words to say about this fundraiser, praising the number of women who joined forces for the cause as well as to support small businesses.

Many of the vendors, such as Tokeland Candle Works, Lunar Tides Jewelry, and Evergreen Flower Farm, craft their products by hand with creativity and care. As a small business with only a few employees, and on some occasions a one-woman operation, running the show can be strenuous in this day and age, where you can buy most items online.

Ladies Night Out provided a face-to-face experience that fostered growth and tangibly uplifted these businesses.

Amy Weisa-Russell, the owner and crafter of Tokeland Candle Works, said she enjoyed the event.

“I feel like the most important value for me is quality ingredients, shopping as locally as possible. So, for all of my products, I try to work with companies that are within the Northwest area. I love collaborating with local businesses. That’s one of my favorite things to do because it’s just fun, and you get to promote each other, which I think is a huge thing for small businesses,” Weisa-Russel said. “Seeing how many people came out to support it, which I think is just huge for a community to show up. That’s one of the best things about doing events is seeing how many people come out to them. It makes it really fun.”