By Khalida Sarwari
Wonderful Witchy Women with a Cause are back for the 10th year, with not just one but three causes. They’ll be filling up their cauldron for these local causes at their annual luncheon on Oct. 30 at the Fairmont in downtown San Jose.
Similar to past years, the luncheon agenda includes a hat contest, a silent auction and a raffle; tickets are two for $40 or one for $25. To celebrate 10 years, organizers will be raffling off a pair of diamond earrings from Joe Escobar Diamonds in Campbell. There will also be a silent auction offering everything from yacht cruises around the San Francisco Bay to a week- long stay in Provence, France.
The beneficiaries this year are the Heritage Home, an organization that supports unwed mothers and their infants by offering life and parenting skills to help change the lives of the women in the program; the Culinary Academy at Rebekah Children’s Services, a no-cost, hands-on vocational training program for disadvantaged youth in Santa Clara County; and the Silicon Valley Children’s Fund, a nonprofit that offers scholarships and direct mentorship support to foster youth in high school.
Representatives from all three organizations are expected to speak at the luncheon.
Event organizer Cheryl Bailey is a Saratoga resident and founder and president of the Bella Vista League, a nonprofit comprised of 55 women that has been putting on the popular luncheon over the past decade. The league focuses on helping the less fortunate within local communities.
“Money that’s raised stays here in the South Bay, and I think that’s one of the things we’re most proud of—that we really search for organizations that are helping women, children and families in need locally and teaching them new life skills to help them form a better life for themselves,” Bailey said.
Earlier this year, the Bella Vista League formed a junior auxiliary for girls in high school up to women age 29 to encourage them to start participating and learning about the practical and business aspects of running a nonprofit.
“The idea behind that is the older girls will help mentor the younger girls and they’ll all have an opportunity to give back and learn while they’re at it,” said Bailey. “We’re pretty excited about that.”
More than 500 women from throughout the South Bay attended last year’s Wonderful Witchy Women event and raised more than $300,000 for local charities.
The luncheon is open to anyone. All that’s required is a giving spirit and a witch’s or Halloween hat to wear.
The luncheon is from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the San Jose Fairmont Hotel, 170 S. Market St. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased online at wonderfulwitchywomen.com. The deadline for reservations is Oct. 22.
