What an eventful and swift year 2014 turned out to be! The year started off with a steady growth in membership and lots of opportunity for Dames for Dreams to be well represented in the community this year. Here is a breakdown of our year and what we accomplished from the eyes of your president.
April 26th and July 19th-20th our KISSES FOR OSO fundraisers partnered with the Everett Eagles Riders and the Eagles Club #4122 riders club and it was a huge success, raising just over one thousand dollars. This money was directly donated to the Oso community efforts of recovery from the landslide. Our first event of the year was “Kisses for Oso,” because mama always has a kiss to make it better. Dames for Dreams partnered with these events that were supported by several different people in the community. The distinguished Dani May Red of this year’s 99.9 KISW Rock Girls joined fellow Dames Carla, Sharon, Peanut, Hannah, Nancy, Linda, Bebe, Dollface, and Sweet’n Lo at the Everett Eagles club. The finale was held at the Anacortes Eagles club and was also supported by the locally renowned Cossacks with their classic motorcycle tricks. After that, we were invited to join the 1st annual NW Motorcycle Rodeo in July where Carla, Diane, Kandi Kadillac and DanniDots lassoed in as many riders as they could to continue the fundraising support for the recovery of the tragic landslide in Oso Washington. If you ask me, 2014 was off to a great start for D4D.
At the ODD MALL on May 31st and June 1st we had our first Dames for Dreams booth at the world’s most bizarre, unique art and culture festival in the Comcast Arena. Our spring booth was hosted by Peanut, Yessica, Kelsey and my music project Indecent Liberty. We returned in November for the holiday Oddmall to add another element of display for the events vendors with our all ages D4D Fashion Show. Our efforts were recognized and we had such great success that David the director of Oddmall asked us to return in 2015 for both the spring and holiday events.
June 28th's booth at LGBT Pride was a blast! We enjoyed our time at the festival in our meet and greet booth while we people-watched and chatted with the kindest of folks from a thriving celebrating community. The entertainment stage that was next to us and I have to say that entertainment isn’t enough of a word, we were mesmerized. We could not be more thrilled to be next to such an active location. My duo Indecent Liberty was booked to play the main stage which gave D4D the wonderful opportunity to be a part of Pride. I was told that Indecent Liberty even had television news air time. Sharing our individual network is one of many things dames do for other Dames and our community around us.
The entire month of June, we collected for the “BRAS FOR BABES IN NEED” project. We had such extraordinary support from our membership; we collected hundreds of bras by the end of the campaign at our members meeting June 29th. More bras and other supplies have been sent to Mary's Place in Seattle from members pro-actively gathering and delivering their collections. Thank you Dames and DanniDots and Lacy Missy for all that you do for others.
Every week in the month of July we joined a support and mentoring program for victims of bullying; Bombshells against Bullying. We encouraged positive body image, as well as promoted unity and love instead of competition and hate. This project has had an outstanding response and the final outcome can be viewed here
A tradition of Dames for Dreams is the annual “Power of She” photo shoot. The entire month of August and then some was donated to this project by the admirable Jay T. Conrad and her Jay& photography talents. If you missed your chance to join in this implied nude photo shoot that empowers us as women together and separately to love the skin we are in, we will do it again with a different photographer and a twist in 2015. This is by far one of our most life changing annual events. The “love the skin you’re in” feeling you leave with cannot be described with words. What I can say is that after we were done we all learned, grew as women, planted seeds within and ignited a sisterhood. “Eff their beauty standards.”
Our meetings were held at the Eagles Club #4122 and at the residences of a few different members. All of our meetings had growth in numbers of attendance and interest in leadership. All of our meetings had great feedback, support, brainstorming, power planning and over all a great beginning to the foundation of a lasting organization. Together we are building a foundation that we want to see last beyond our years. In the coming year of 2015 one of our D4D goals is to utilize the tools of technology. We plan to hold more conference phone calls rather than in person all members meetings. Our website is another tool we want to use to the best of its and our ability.
We now have spread into chapters so that each area has the freedom to choose what works best for them to communicate and connect with their community with independent projects, fundraisers and partnerships. Please be patient with us as we are building this organization from the ground up together with a long term goal of a strong foundation for a lasting purpose. We want to be the ones to fill the needs and be one of the pillars of our community.
On August 23rd we supported and hosted the Eagles #4122 clubs event “HOT AUGUST NIGHTS”, an all-ages 40's/ 50's diner themed fundraiser specifically for that club. Bebe, Kathryn and I served burgers and dogs with chili as an option, chips and salad and a soda pop of their choosing. There were cars that made it out and there were so many smiles and full bellies. Once again our fundraising efforts and our partnership with the North Seattle Eagles Club was considered a success.
August 30th was our DAMES FOR DREAMS 2nd ANNUAL 'DREAM GIRL' PAGEANT. After a few hiccups the event was held this year during Labor Day weekend at the Yuppie Pawn and Tavern in Kirkland. This was an outstanding event with so much love it filled the whole place. Our judges Razor Rose, Mrs. Rosewood and Candy Coconuts were kind and elegant dames and their feedback affirmed our mission to motivate, inspire and educate one another and the community around us. The 2014 ‘Dream Girl’ characters were: Vanessa as Dolly Pardon, Kandy Korn as Cyndi Lauper, Mallory was herself, Katie Mae was Jessica Rabbit, Elicia was her alter ego Pip Osborne, Sally Stang was Miranda Lambert and our winner Minna was the Blonde Phantom. Our Vice President worked the crowd, our Deputy Chief ran the behind the scenes and our President (myself) emceed the pageant as the late Shirley Temple.
Our honorary D4D associates (hubbies, boyfriends, brothers, fathers and sons) were a huge help during this year’s events and deserve mentioning as well, Thank you brother Bryan and the Cowboy Sean for your loyalty, protection, love and support. The idea of “Dudes for Dreams” has been kicked around.
September 28th we had our first all ages “PINUP ON A PENNY” workshop hosted by Sweet’n Lo, Dollface, and DanniDots with our special guest Black Cat Barbie. We had a magical connection with our 20 members’ strong workshop. In the greenroom of the Historical Everett Theater we learned the tricks of the pinup trade; winged liner, eye shadow, sculpted eye brows, contouring, blushes and red lips along with hair tips and tricks along with wardrobe do’s and don’ts. The most important thing we learned in this workshop was that love within and confidence are the most important things any Dame can wear. The cosmic connections many of us made at this workshop were undeniable. As we began, we spoke about ourselves and what D4D means to us and why. The honesty was pure and real, there were Dames of all ages yet during this part of the workshop we were ageless. It was discovered that each of us had more in common than we expected when we arrived. The depth we reached at this workshop was uniquely unscripted and raw and I considered it to be one of the highlights of the growth of our movement. I had multiple emotions run through my mind as I witnessed this magical moment of D4D history.
December 6th was our end of year community effort supporting KING 5 HOME TEAM NORTHWEST HARVEST FOOD DRIVE. This is the largest collection day of the year for Northwest Harvest. Dames and Damsels alike came in full force with bags and boxes of canned food collected over the past few months by many of us. There were several drop-off locations around the Puget Sound and D4D had members hand deliver to half a dozen of them. Kandi Kadillac, Peanut Bunny Von Peeps and her little damsel, Melanie and her damsels, Sally Stang and her damsel and her fellow Hell on Heels model Madam Butterfly and I, all delivered to the Everett Mall. King 5 news cameras captured our delivery along with HoH Photography. The reward of giving was a natural high that we all got on that crisp cold Saturday morning.
We will be releasing the beginning 2015 event calendar by mid-January. We have increased in our multi-media capabilities to ensure growth in our communications to members and followers alike. We have high hopes for our next step in the Dames for Dreams movement as we expand into chapters.
Please be patient with us as we build our foundation. All of us are building this organization together. We have learned a lot from the past couple of years and our goals are to improve our focus and secure our place in the community. The ‘Big Picture’ goal is to connect with our active members. This is up to us Dames to make Dames for Dreams what we want it to be. D4D is a network and strong reliable community that supports one another with our strengths AND uses our network to inspire, motivate and educate the youth and community around us. I feel privileged to be connected with so many powerful women.
If you are involved with another group or effort, if you have a club or event or project, each of you are always welcome to recruit within our membership. There are so many of us with different interests that I believe we should always have the option to share it with our members and find like-minded Dames and connect with them.
I could not be more proud of what Dames for Dreams and our membership has accomplished this year. We have had our ups and downs which means D4D has taken a life of its own. Once given the privilege to lead this amazing concept in the beginning of 2014, D4D became my baby. I had no idea what I was doing but I walked by faith and listened to my calling. Every single one of you touches my heart, we were once only eight Dames and now we are in the hundreds.
My vision told me to move north, south, east and west so that is the 2015 plan. Let us spread out but at the same time create small groups so we can deeply connect to make a difference together unified by sisterhood. Let us see the needs in our communities and fill them. Let us stand for something together and give with our left hand what our right hand can’t see. Here’s to STRONG women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them!
Like I said, 2014 was a full and exciting year of growth and fun filled events for our membership! So let’s get the New Year off to a great start. I’ll be seeing some of you at our January events and many more of you out at the rest of our 2015 events.
Yours Truly,
Christi Michelle, President Sweet’n Lo
