“Sole Men” Join Wine, Women & Shoes Benefit Wednesday

The first ever Pasadena Wine Women & Shoes event benefiting Foothill Family Services delighted 150 women of all ages with shopping, wine sipping and munching savory delights over conversation at the Maxwell House on Wednesday.

“Sole Men” from Braun Fitness served shoes on silver platters while mingling among the women. Three men also served as shoe judges with the difficult task of selecting the best-worn shoe of the evening.

“It’s a great turn our with people ranging the age gamut. There’s interacting with young and old and there’s good food too. We’re amazed,” event attendees Mary Ann Dutra and Susan Rogers said who were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Bringing Napa Valley to Pasadena, Wine Women & Shoes chose Foothill Family Services as its charity of choice in the eastern Los Angeles area. The national event helps charities fundraise all over the country in unique style with feminine soul.

The well connected April Danz made the event possible, suggesting Foothill Family Services to Kim Miller who wanted to bring Wine Women & Shoes (WW&S) to this area.

“I knew funding had just been cut for Foothill and they were trying to find more income, they needed and it’s such a great cause, so I felt good about sending [WW&S] to Foothill first. I was surprised they ended up doing it this year, six months later,” Danz said.

Wine, Women & Shoes, now in over 40 cities, provides half the event by bringing the wine from Napa and Sonoma Valley as well as all the planning and coordinating. A female vintner with her own wine label in Napa Valley dreamt up the event.

“No one was doing something fun and high energy for women where wineries could really engage a female audience to showcase their wines. She wanted to bridge wine tasting and fun with philanthropy and here we are,” Miller said who helps plan these events all over the country.

Miller described WW&S as the NFL of women’s charity events with the charities being the teams. Their goal is to help every charity get to the super bowl in the first year by exceeding their fundraising expectations.

“Foothill was the first one I called and it was a done deal, the stars were aligned. I really have April to thank because she was the conduit and the reason we found Foothill. Most of our charities are family oriented and grassroots causes in the community. As women we love supporting many causes from environment to animal to cancer, but it’s the little causes like this that we help the most and why our platform is successful,” Miller said.

This fabulous girls night out benefited Foothill Family Service, a nonprofit community based agency that services over 22,000 children youth and families annually throughout the San Gabriel & Pomona Valleys as well as Burbank and Glendale. Foothill Family Service provides high quality mental health, educational and social services to meet emerging needs of ethnically diverse, low-income, at-risk infants, children, teens, adults and families.

Look for the fun event to return next year with even more event elements that will wow women. For more information visit www.foothillfamily.org and www.winewomenandshoes.com.