The Goodwill Glitter Gala

Last night was the first annual Glitter Gala which was put on to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Goodwill Glitter Sale (which was originally called 'Sequins, Satin, Feathers and Beads' and then 'All That Glitters' and then eventually shorten to the name we now know). It will be held tomorrow and Sunday from 9am - 6pm at their Dearborn St. Store (1400 South Lane Street).

The gala was attended by many sharply dressed men and women who were there to support Goodill! The night started out with light appetizers and champagne being passed around while the patrons bought raffle tickets for numerous prizes and bid on 2 tables worth of silent auction items. I had my eye on a collector Barbie but sadly I didn't have time to bid.

The Art Institute had several designers there as well who had created pieces for the runway show. They had been given $75 at Goodwill and had been the task of creative a futuristic outfit for the runway show. I got some great images of those items, make sure to check them all out. (I had hoped to meet the designers but was so busy taking photos I didn't get a chance to speak to all of them.)

Rhinestone Rosie was also there with some of her vintage jewelry pieces that patrons could view. From what I was told some of those pieces will be in the Glitter Sale!

At a little after 7pm the Sheraton Metropolitan Ballroom doors were opened and guests were asked to go in and find their tables for dinner. We took our places next to the stage so we could get some great shots of the clothing coming off the runway.

The runway show was great; Mary Louise (head of the Goodwill vintage collection), the Art Institute and Robert Leonard did a fantastic job of styling the models and clothing to look like the differnt eras they were representing. Their whole show is about reusing and repurposing items, what a great eco friendly show!! All of the clothing they showed came from Goodwill which, as you should know, are items that the community donated. Plus, all of the items they showed will be in the Glitter Sale!

The proceeds from the event support Goodwill’s free job training and education programs, which help low income people with barriers to employment get the skills and support they need to achieve economic self-sufficiency through work. Towards the end of the evening everyone was introduced to two success stories, Joyce and Kimberly, it was very heart warming and portrayed how Goodwill really does help people!

Make sure to head on over to the Glitter Sale tomorrow to buy some of these amazing items!

Thank you to Tracy Schneider and Betsy McFeely for all their help answering questions and for allowing us to cover the event, thank you so much ladies!

I'll be in line at the sale tomorrow, make sure to say hi if you see me! ;)