Zonta Announces

MADE By US Fair

Island Sun, November 4, 2011
Submitted by: Dalia Jakubauskas

Area women will be raising funds

and awareness for projects

benefiting women both here

and abroad at MADE by US: Womenmade

Fashions, Food and Social

Change Event. To be held on Saturday,

November 19 at the Unitarian-

Universalist Church of Fort Myers

(UUCFM), 13411 Shire Lane, the affair

will feature clothing, jewelry, food and

more – all made by local women.

MADE by US will also include a fashion

show and speakers from Beauty From

Ashes, a faith-based organization ministering

to victims of the sex industry; and

Abuse Counseling and Treatment Inc., a

service provider for survivors of domestic

violence. Speakers from the Human

Trafficking Awareness Partnerships Inc.

(HTAP), and Guatemalan Rural Adult

and Children Education (GRACE), will

also make presentations. HTAP combats

human trafficking by educating young

people about the crime, while GRACE is

a UUCFM project dedicated to improving

the lives of Guatemalan women and their

families through education.

The public can also see canvasses

painted by area students for HTAP’s

ARTREACH project at the event.

ARTREACH is designed to educate local

children about the dangers of human

trafficking through art and theater. The

canvasses will be hanging at the church

through the month of November.

The event is the brainchild of Sanibel

resident Gari Grant Lewis, who for years

dreamed of putting on an event that

showcased the talents of women.

“I have a degree in fashion design

and have been producing and modeling

for fashion shows for 20 years using

retail stores,” Lewis said. “It was always

my dream to use fashions women had

designed and sewed themselves.”

Lewis and her sister, Dr. Genelle Grant,

director for GRACE, had talked extensively

about putting on an event that would

raise awareness surrounding projects combating

violence against women. The idea

crystalized when she became a member of

The Zonta Club of Sanibel/Captiva and a

team member for the club’s service partner,

HTAP, Lewis said.

The fact that GRACE is also one of

the club’s service partners seemed like a

perfect fit, said Lewis. Dr. Grant is also

involved with the Zonta Club of Fort

Myers, which will be the main sponsor of

the event. Zonta clubs around the world

are dedicated to advancing the status of

women both locally and internationally.

In all, 32 women will be giving their

energy to make MADE by US happen.

The vendors will include 16 clothing and

jewelry designers and four food booths.

Purchases from the vendors will benefit

the women directly but proceeds from

ticket sales for the event will help HTAP

and GRACE.

Admission to the event, which will

run from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., is $20 for

adults and $10 for students. Buy a ticket

and get a $5 coupon good toward purchases

from the vendors.

Call Gari Grant Lewis at 395-2403 for tickets

and more information.