Girls Really Do Have the Power of the Purse
On the night of International Women’s Day, over 450 guests came together at the Portland Art Museum to raise over $250,000 for Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon, an organization dedicated to the achievements of girls and young women. Headlined by one of a kind purse designed by local purse designers and local notable “purse-o-nalities”, the annual gala was the organization’s most successful fundraiser to date, revealing how just how empowering this movement has become.
In anticipation of the fundraiser an aspiring girl reporter from Girls Inc. interviewed Cindy Parlow Cone head coach of the Portland Thorns. In the interview, Parlow Cone cited some of her most teachable leadership moments came from her mother.
“She always told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do, be whoever I wanted to be,” said Parlow Cone in the interview. Other Girl Inc reporters interviewed Erin Janssens, fire chief for the city of Portland and Tom Manley, president of the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
Parlow auctioned off her own purse at the event, which was filled with goodies including tickets to see the Portland Thorns, a meet and greet with the team and an autographed team jersey.
“We were absolutely thrilled to include Cindy, and the Thorns in the 2013 Power of the Purse,” said Elizabeth Nye, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon. “We can’t wait to continue our partnership with the Thorns as they kick of their first season!”
Dragonwing girlgear shares the same vision and passion for young, female athletes as Girls Inc. and was an in-kind sponsor and attendee at the event.
Since 1998, Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon, formerly known as the Girls Initiative Network, has been serving all types of girls in the greater Portland area as a grassroots organization. In 2005, it became affiliated with Girls Incorporated, a national organization that started in 1864 and has reached over125,000 girls nationwide and in Canada.
The success of organizations like Girls Inc of Northwest Oregon and Girls Incorporated truly shows that women and girls really do have the power of the purse.
To learn more about Girls Inc of Northwest Oregon visit http://girlsincnworegon.org. To learn more about the Portland Thorns, visit, http://www.portlandtimbers.com/thornsfc. To learn more about Dragonwing girlgear, visit dragonwinggirl.com.