WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – An organization that makes sure all children have access to the health services they need will hold a virtual fundraiser that starts Fri., March 19.
The Virtual Power of the Purse fundraiser will raise money for WHAT. Several designer purses are part of the online auction, with bids starting on bidding Fri., March 19 and ending at 7:15 p.m. on Thurs. March 25. There is also a raffle for a Louis Vuitton purse donated by Jennifer Cranford and valued at $1,540.
Raffle tickets are available for $20 each.
“This is a fun, lighthearted event but the cause is very, very serious,” said Elizabeth Redenbaugh, developmental director of Coastal Horizons.
She said the pandemic highlighted the importance of WHAT’s work.
“Since the start of our fiscal year, as of July 1, we have provided services to over 1,900 children in our area and provided them with 10,000 behavioral health and primary care visits,” Redenbaugh explained. “Of that 10,000, 7,000 have been for behavioral health and psych visits that all have been done virtual virtually via telehealth. As you might imagine, throughout Covid, we have seen a tremendous uptick in anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation among children. So the work that we’re doing at Wilmington Health Access for Teens of Coastal Horizons could not be more important.”
WHAT provides services in a school-based setting as well as in a standalone clinic on Oleander Drive for those ages six through 24.
The annual Power of the Purse fundraiser for WHAT is typically a large, in-person affair; however, it is all online this year due to the pandemic.
For more information and to bid online, click here.
Copyright 2021 WECT. All rights reserved.
