聽 聽 聽The ladies of southeast Saskatchewan got their glam on and partied for a purpose at the Arcola Daycare's first-ever 'Little Black Dress Event' held Saturday, March 8 at Prairie Place Hall.
聽聽聽聽 The hall was transformed into an elegant dining, wining, shopping, and dancing venue, decorated in black, white, and shades of pink.
聽聽聽聽 Over 300 women of all ages-including two baby girls in tiny black dresses- cheered when daycare committee members, Ghislaine Carter and Michelle Cundall opened the event with a promise to do it all again next year.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e want to make this an annual event and we want you to look forward to it,鈥� said Cundall.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he Arcola Daycare was created to provide high-quality childcare in Arcola and the surrounding area,鈥� added Cundall. 鈥淟ast year, we were informed that we would need to do extensive renovations to our daycare facility to maintain our current licensing. As a board, we decided to begin renting Coteau Place with the intention of eventually purchasing this facility. As of November 2014, we have been operating out of our new facility and the staff and children couldn't be happier.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Carter then called her fellow board members to the stage, where she led a toast to them.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his night would not have happened without the hard work of the ladies who stand before you,鈥� she said.
聽聽聽聽 Carter says the Arcola Daycare's board and staff are striving to make the facility financially self-sufficient.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e want to make our fundraisers innovative, exciting events that are unique occasions that people are happy to support. We want them to come to our events because they enjoy them, not because聽 they feel obligated to support us.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith the 'Little Black Dress Event', we deliberately didn't canvass for silent auction items. Some people heard we were holding it and came forward with items, which we gratefully accepted. A lot of people asked why we didn't canvass them for donations, but we will be doing that for our Spring Fling in April.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith our 'Little Black Dress Event' and our 'Trip of the Month' draws, we are trying to create unique ways to fundraise that will be self-supporting. We are so grateful for the fantastic support we receive, but we don't want to always be asking people for contributions. We'd like to also offer them something of value, as well, so they can support us that way, if they choose to.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淓ach of our 14 vendors at the event paid $50,鈥� adds Carter. 鈥淭hat bought them a seat at the vendors' table and a chance to enjoy the dinner, too. We also asked each of them to donate a door prize, and they gave us some wonderful items.鈥�
聽聽 聽聽The evening's menu included a main course of mushroom chicken, along with an array of salads and a dessert bar, prepared by Shelley and David Slykhuis.
聽聽聽聽 While David said grace, his wife took the evening off to enjoy the event.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 think it's great for women to get together and have some fun,鈥� Shelley said. 鈥淚t's a great idea anytime, but I think the timing of this evening is perfect. It's a fantastic cure for the winter blues.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Jessica Shirley of Carlyle agreed, saying, 鈥淚t's an awesome event and a great idea.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Although the entire daycare committee, staff, and numerous other volunteers worked hard to transform Prairie Place Hall into a chic, girly venue, the creative touches of committee member Cathy Burton of Arcola were everywhere.
聽聽聽聽 Mason jars were covered with white and black lace and trimmed with pearl beads, washroom doors were decorated with black and white bows, and even the pink mints on the tables were made in Burton's kitchen.
聽聽聽聽 In addition, each guest received a 'Keep Calm, It's Ladies' Night' tote bag custom-made for the occasion.
聽聽聽聽 Throughout the evening women of all ages enjoyed shopping, wining, dining, dancing to the Duelling Pianos, laughing, and catching up with friends, according to Carter.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e had women from Arcola, Kisbey, Willmar, Lampman, Manor, Carlyle, White Bear, Kenosee Lake, Bienfait, Estevan, and Regina,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 noticed a lot of moms and daughters and daughters-in-law spending an evening together.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ecause we're a daycare, it's especially great for us to see moms splurging on a dress, or getting their hair and nails done, or simply taking a little time for themselves and enjoying a nice dinner and entertainment with friends. We don't do that often enough.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Carter says the Arcola Daycare board and staff are already committed to making this fun night dedicated to women an annual event.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he comment cards that the women attending filled out indicated that they'd like it to continue to be an event where they can dress up, so we're definitely planning a version of what our first 'Little Black Dress Event' looked like, but we may tweak it a bit to keep it fresh and fun.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e haven't done our final tally yet, but we're very happy with the evening, and we're already looking forward to planning next year's edition.鈥�
