History
Initiated in the fall of 1998 by Sandy Graff and Elsie Carter, the High Hopes Committee has raised more than $1 million over the past 19 summers for the YWCA Resolve shelter, Hope House. Originally started by recruiting the help of many prominent women within the community, the High Hopes founders hosted up to 17 different parties each summer – ranging from art walks, tennis parties, Itali
an feasts, and game nights to fashion shows, antique shows, and even car shows. When deciding on a beneficiary, they immediately agreed that helping battered women is a cause that appeals to every woman. Now, these smaller parties have been rolled into one grand events: Girls Night Out. While Girls Night Out remains consistent each year, its memorable themes have included “New York, New York,” “Wild and Wonderful Women of West Virginia,” a 60s-style “Peace, Love and Hope House,” and “Hollywood on the Hill.”
Today
Today, the Girls Night Out committee is a powerhouse of women (and a few awesome men!) helping women each year in our community. From hostesses and volunteers to sponsors and attendees, well over 1,000 individuals are involved each summer to make this event more successful than the year before. These fundraisers provide vitally needed shelter, services, advocacy, education, counseling, food and other necessities to women and families in dire need of relief from abuse. Proceeds have helped repair, refurbish and furnish Hope House, retain critical services that would have been lost due to funding cuts, and even been invested in an endowment to support the program in perpetuity.
