Dress for Success Luzerne County holds annual fundraiser

Ryan Evans, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·3 min read

Sep. 30—WILKES-BARRE — Downtown Diamonds were shining bright at the Westmoreland Club Thursday night, as Dress for Success Luzerne County held its annual fundraiser, which sold out for the first time.

The kicker, of course, is one lucky attendee would be leaving with a 1 karat diamond, GIA certified, and valued at $6,000 from Simon & Co. Jewelers.

Every ticket comes with a glass of champagne, which were ornamentally arranged as a centerpiece. Inside each glass is a possible winner, though only one glass held the real diamond, while the rest were merely phonies.

Before the winner was unveiled in dramatic fashion, those in attendance had a chance to reflect on why they were there.

Katrina Wallace, chair of the event and co-chair of Dress for Success Luzerne County, spoke of the change felt be all over the last few years, noting, "change is what saves our women," as, of course, the nonprofit organization is dedicated to empowering local women by offering a network of support and professional attire to help them land a job and begin to thrive.

Wallace spoke of pressure and how, "it can burst a pipe or it can make a diamond," she said. "Well, each and every one of our women are certainly diamonds ... When a woman is shown the right skills that can build a family-sustaining career, it truly brightens her day and changes (her) world. And in turn, one woman's success will always help another woman's success."

And for Luzerne County's chapter, Dress for Success is certainly working hard to foster the success of our local women.

Linda Armstrong-Loop, Founder and CEO of the county's program added, "And like the citizens of Pennsylvania, Dress for Success Luzerne County is part of a global community. We are connected to Dress for Success affiliates in 150 cities in over 20 countries. It's an honor to be part of that network that believes every woman has the right to her full potential and to achieve financial independence in a more balanced world where her gender is not an issue."

With that, Loop introduced a "real diamond" to the Diamond City, whom she met through Luzerne County Community College's KEYS program, Esther Crook.

"To come here and just see the power and the love that is in these women has just given me, myself, the energy to get out here. I am going to strive. I am going to be successful," she said to mountain cheers and applause.

Co-emcee for the evening, Nick Toma of WBRE/WYOU Eyewitness News, then took to the stage to read off various raffle winners. Members of Wilkes University's Men's Hockey Team had been selling mystery boxes all night as well, which contained prizes.

In the meantime, a line formed as Emile Zafrany inspected diamonds, looking for the winner. The procession was long, and many were turned away under Zafrany's expert eye, that is until Chandra Nealon of Shavertown presented her diamond and gasped as she was told it was real.

The winner identified, the excitement of the night was palpable, though the real winners are Dress for Success and the women they're able to help day in and day out thanks to the generosity of an appreciative community.