Power of the Purse Showcases the Magic of Reading

Power of the Purse Showcases the Magic of Reading

Spring is here, folks, and this time of year is when one of our most popular and beloved annual events begin to take shape — the Power of the Purse, which is planned and put on by the United Way of Steele County, Women United.

The Power of the Purse is our annual fundraiser for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The imagination library is a free program that mails an age-appropriate book every month to more than 1,200 children ages birth to 5 who are enrolled and live in Steele County. Dolly Parton’s foundation pays for the books. All the money we raise at Power of the Purse goes directly to pay the $25 postage cost per child per year. So, raising a minimum of $30,000 ensures that our actively registered children will continue to receive books for another year.

Last year’s sixth annual event was a massive success. Not only did we sell out of tickets, we also exceeded our goal of $30,000 by over 25%, finishing at just over $38,000! This year, Women United is bringing the Magic of Reading theme to the event. Expect an evening filled with enchantment, charm, mystery, sorcery, and perhaps a touch of Harry Potter as well.

Women United is a group of 75,000-plus across the globe that are dedicated to creating a world of opportunity for everyone. They work to keep women informed about the needs of our community, share their concerns and visions for the future, as well as offer opportunities to become engaged in the work of the United Way and our partner agencies through the allocation of their time, talent and resources. Locally, our Women United group (which formed in 2013) has nearly doubled in total members since its inception, and more recently was responsible for generating over $130,000 of our total campaign dollars raised in 2019.

Mark your calendars now as this year’s Power of the Purse will be on June 9th at the Owatonna Country Club. We’re blowing it up this year for our seventh annual POP and will be featuring added venue space, which is going to allow for more tickets to be sold this year, as well as more items to be featured in our very popular silent and live auctions. Last year’s live auction included vacation getaways, a Girls’ Night Out event, a skydiving experience, and much more! While I did mention that we’ll be able to sell more tickets this year – we still anticipate that they’ll go fast – so purchase your tickets early. You won’t want to miss out! (Update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the 2020 Power of the Purse has been cancelled.)

I’d also like to personally encourage local businesses that are interested in donating to the event – to reach out to us. Whether it’s a gift card/certificate to your business, an item, a new or gently used purse, or bottles of wine for our Wall of Wine. We’ve seen the enthusiastic smiles on so many of the kids’ faces when they run out to the mailbox and receive their new book each month. You can even visit our YouTube channel to see for yourself. Your gift to Power of the Purse ensures that we can continue to brighten the days of 1,200+ local children, provide these smiles, and most importantly improve early-childhood literacy in Steele County. We’ll be happy to acknowledge you for your business contribution no matter how large or small! Email me or give me a call at the United Way office and I’ll be happy to have one of our Women United members stop by to pick it up.