Wine, Women, Chocolate and Shoes a winning combination for Chamber

Five years ago, when thinking about a way to help fund Tecumseh Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director Vicki Philo came up with the idea “Wine, Women, Chocolate and Shoes.” People donate gently used women’s accessories and then women gather for a fun evening of pampering and select their favorites from the donations.“I found the idea in a national chamber publication,” Philo said. “The evening was very successful the first year and has grown every year since. It’s really become one of the Chamber’s main fundraisers of the year.”The fifth fundraiser was held on Friday, Feb. 27, and raised approximately $6,700 to benefit the Chamber with a donation of accessories also made to the Catherine Cobb Domestic Violence Shelter. Tickets for the event were available for purchase at Tecumseh Big Boy around the holidays, with 116 people purchasing tickets for the event.Local businesses provided items and services for auction. Attendees were treated to music, hors d’oevres, and fun activities. Each ticket entitled the guest to two drinks and all the chocolate and hors d’oevres they could eat, as well as selecting one item from the donated accessories.“After everyone has had a chance to shop for one item, people could make a donation to purchase something else,” Philo said.The women were divided into five shopping groups with each group taking a turn to make their selections. There were approximately 25 women in each shopping group.“They can come in a little early and scope things out. There is a time limit for shopping,” said Philo. The most popular item during the shopping is purses, although shoes, jewelry and scarves are also part of the event. “We take donations from the general public for general accessories,” Philo said. “We look for gently used items. Some people even donate brand-new items with the price tag still on them.”Beyond the food and shopping, attendees can get pampered with chair massages, simple hair styling, and, some years, manicures. All the evening’s activities combine to make it a perfect night out for women.Philo believes February is the perfect month for Wine, Women, Chocolate and Shoes because everyone is tired of being stuck at home. “They want to get out,” she said. “We are trying to think of something similar for the guys.”Donations of accessories for next year’s event are already being accepted. People can drop off their gently used items at the Tecumseh Area Chamber of Commerce office on Chicago Boulevard.