POWER OF THE PURSE
Bid, Win, and Instill Hope
By BRANDI M. GOMEZ
T
he Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center
hosts its 11th annual Power of the
Purse fundraising event on Saturday, April
4, at 6 p.m. at the Texas A&M University
Hotel and Conference Center.
Power of the Purse is an event where
the community can come together to raise
money for BVRC’s charitable programs
through a live and silent auction of a variety
of designer purses generously sponsored by
businesses and people of the community.
Power of the Purse benefits both the
center and the people who attend, but the
auction is not quite like others. Instead
of a simple bid, win, and go home with
the prize process, there will be a catwalk
with the event’s sponsors strutting their
donated products on a runway, says
Crystal Garcia-Williams, co-chair of Power
of the Purse.
Winners of the auction will walk away
proudly saying, “I got my bag from Power
of the Purse,” but it also allows people to
46
INSITE March 2020
walk away from an event knowing they
have instilled hope in the lives of patients
BVRC helps every day.
“The event is for the community to
come together to support the longest free-
standing nonprofit [therapy provider]
within the Brazos Valley,” says Williams.
This is what makes Power of the Purse
worth attending, as it has ultimately been
created to help support the community
through the much-needed services the
BVRC provides.
“We are grateful to our loyal
participants and welcome newcomers
every year,” says Williams.
Power of the Purse is for anyone,
from families to businesses, to
come together and participate in a
philanthropic event that has helped
many individuals and families.
The raffle item is a pair of gorgeous two-
carat diamond earrings valued at $7,000,
sponsored by Montelongo’s Fine Jewelry.
This year’s event title sponsor is Stylecraft
Builders. Other event sponsors include
Montelongo’s Fine Jewelry, Briaud Financial
Advisors, the Bubba Moore Memorial Group,
Superior Healthplan, Sue Ellen & Fred Davis
with Davis and Davis Lawyers, Hawkwood
Energy, C.E. Borman & Associates, and
Commerce National Bank.
“The purse is the symbolic theme of the
event; it is the figurative power of your
purse, of your donation, that can change
somebody’s life tomorrow,” says Alina
Fifer, chief executive officer of Power of
the Purse. “As a token of your generosity,
you leave the event with a fantastic purse
that you can talk about for years to come,
as you get compliments in the [Brazos
Valley] community.”
To participate in this event as a sponsor,
visit brazostherapy.org or email Crystal
Garcia-Williams at [email protected].
To buy tickets, visit brazostherapy.org
and click on Power of the Purse 2020. i