WARREN – The Women’s Resource Center, a nonprofit offering domestic violence prevention programs and services, announced this week it will hold its inaugural fundraising gala in Newport in late April.
The Butterfly Ball, the nonprofit’s signature annual event, will take place on Saturday, April 27, from 6-10 p.m. at the Hotel Viking, 1 Bellevue Ave., Newport. The black-tie gala will feature dinner, dancing and other activities.
Nicole J. Benjamin, board president for the Women’s Resource Center, said in a statement the gala is named for a butterfly because it symbolizes “the transformation a domestic violence survivor undergoes to rebuild their life.” The resource center, since it was first established more than 40 years ago, “has empowered survivors, helping them break free from their cocoon, spread their wings and fly,” Benjamin said.
The gala will also feature silent and live auctions, allowing attendees to bid on various artworks, vacation destinations, sports memorabilia and other items, according to a news release.
Tickets for the gala cost $150 and proceeds raised from the event, according to the release, will help fund the resource center’s activities for domestic violence protection, such as advocacy, education and support services for men, women, children and families within Newport and Bristol counties.
“Specifically, the WRC helps survivors of domestic violence find a safe haven at our emergency shelter and transitional housing locations, navigate the legal and court systems, and obtain counseling for the emotional trauma from abuse,” said Lori N. DiPersio, executive director of the Women’s Resource Center, in a statement. “We provide all of these services for free, thanks to the generosity of donors at fundraising events [such as] our Butterfly Ball.”
Sponsorship opportunities, as well as opportunities to donate items for the auctions, are available. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (401) 846-5263 or visit wrcnbc.org.
James Bessette is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Research@PBN.com.
