Shoe auction aims to give YWCA a leg up

Piercing zebra print stiletto platforms, strappy red pumps, baby blue go-go boots and a pair of low cheetah print boots.

These are just some of the treasures tucked away in the basement of the YWCA office building in downtown Bremerton awaiting a public debut.

The shoes will be the centerpiece of the nonprofit organization's upcoming "Take a Walk in Her Shoes" auction fundraiser, which aims to raise awareness and funding for its domestic violence programs.

"We're a giving community but our challenge is how do you build more support?" YWCA executive director Linda Joyce said. "You do that by doing something new."

In the past year, the agency has focused on raising more awareness about its services. The nonprofit has been in the community since 1948, but it was time to remind the community about everything the YWCA does, Joyce said.

That included creating new ways to raise awareness that will translate to more financial donations. That's how the agency came up with the shoe auction.

"What woman doesn't like shoes?" Joyce said.

The event, planned for Saturday, Sept. 8, starts with a walk from the Amy Burnett Gallery at 408 Pacific Ave. to the Admiral Theatre at the corner of Fifth Street.

But the walk isn't just any walk. Participants are encouraged to have fun, create teams to raise money and go all out with costumes and a focus on the shoes that will adorn their feet. It's hoped that includes men in high heels or other creative footwear.

"We hope it's an evening just of fun," Tracy McConaughy of the YWCA said.

The fundraiser is a first for the YWCA and the hope is it will raise awareness about what survivors of domestic violence endure.

"We want to reach the folks that don't know so much about it," Joyce said. "The awareness piece is the really important piece."

Joyce hopes people will be able to empathize with domestic violence survivors and learn about the many programs the YWCA offers to help women and children escape abusive situations and become self-sufficient.

Event organizers also hope the walk and following auction will bring in more donations to the nonprofit that has seen its funding cut by roughly 20 percent in recent years. The decline is largely attributed to cuts in federal and state funding and a decrease in public donations as people tighten their budgets because of the poor economy.

The YWCA is accepting shoe donations that will be auctioned to raise money. Roughly 100 shoes have been donated already, but event organizers are hoping to have closer to 250. Any and all donations of new or barely worn shoes will be accepted through Sept. 4 at the YWCA office at 905 Pacific Ave. in Bremerton.

Some of the shoes ready for auction include labels like Dolce & Gabbana, Dana Buchman, Anne Klein, Bellini, Guess, Steve Madden, Sam Edelman, Carlos Santana, Liz Claiborne and Puma. A Seattle department store also has promised a donation of shoe samples for the auction, but asked its name not be mentioned before the auction to limit request from other nonprofits, McConaughy said.

"We need people to come out," Joyce said. "We've tried to make it an event that's affordable and festive and fun."