The Vegas casino floor could not hold a candle to the fun spirit at the OWA Red Carpet Reception and Raffle event during Vision Expo West. On Friday, September 15, current members, new members, and invited guests gathered at the Sands Convention Center to enjoy an evening of cocktails, networking, a raffle, and new this year, a silent auction.
The event was the first networking reception for Tiara Claxton in her new role as OWA President. "It was an awesome turnout of over 300 optical professionals! We tripled our fundraising efforts over last year and look forward to using the monies raised to provide more opportunities to reach our remote members, with our focus on Regional Events, Company Ambassadors, and Tuesday Talks," said Claxton.
The raffle and silent auction included donations worth over $20,000 from our generous sponsors and friends. The raffle included designer frames, Visa and Nordstrom gift cards, and autographed sports and entertainment memorabilia. The silent auction showcased luxury items from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany, as well as exotic vacations. Luck was definitely a lady that evening as several attendees won multiple items from both the raffle and silent auction.
The event was a big success as the only fundraiser event of the year, raising a record-setting amount of money to support OWA programs. 12 new members joined and were able to take advantage of the $95 membership fee for the remainder of 2017 and all of 2018.
Check out pictures from the OWA Red Carpet event!
Back to: October 2017 : October 2017 Newsletter