Designer fashions are coming to Oakdale — for two days only.
If designer labels, priced at 50-80 percent off, are your thing, you won’t want to miss the upcoming fundraising event Shop For Charity, Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30 in the old Blockbuster building where A Miner Miracle will bring 5,000 designer fashions for men and women to Oakdale for a special event.
Spearheaded by Mayor Pat Paul and made possible by numerous individuals who jumped on the bandwagon to make it happen, A Miner Miracle is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that provides professional clothing and image counseling to low-income men, women and young adults looking for employment. The organization has been recognized by Oprah Winfrey for its humanitarian contributions and while the organization has a storefront in Union Square, it does not do road shows, which makes the Oakdale showing that much more incredible.
Friday night tickets are $25 for the early preview and purchase (from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). A portion of the ticket sales will go to the charity of the contributor’s choice. Participating organizations are: Oakdale Education Foundation, Oakdale Women’s Club, Shelter Pet Alliance, Community Hospice, Haven Women Center, and Family Support Network.
Saturday, the event is free and open to the public starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. but the high-end designer fashions may be gone, so a ticket to the Friday night event is recommended.
So how did A Miner Miracle end up in Oakdale?
Paul admitted with complete candor, “I nagged her (the owner of A Miner Miracle) for four months or so. I just really believed this could be something great for Oakdale and I wouldn’t give up.”
It all started with Paul remarking on a friend’s lovely sweater and asking where she’d found it. The friend told her about A Miner Miracle and what a great cause it was as well as how the organization manages to get their hands on designer clothing.
“I started thinking about all the causes I’m involved in and I thought, ‘We could do this.’ And it’s been an amazing collaborative effort,” added Paul.
The only way A Miner Miracle would agree to come to Oakdale was if Paul could guarantee 300 ticket sales. Thus far, Paul said between the various organizations involved, more than 400 tickets have been sold.
Paul knew it was a risk but she didn’t hesitate.
“You have to take risks in life and I’m willing to do this,” Paul said.
And she also didn’t hesitate to pull in the troops.
“Virginia Madueno, the Mayor of Riverbank, took 200 tickets to sell in Riverbank to benefit the animal shelter because Riverbank contracts animal control services from Oakdale,” Paul said of the influx of helping hands. “There has been a huge volunteer effort. Everyone brought something to the table. This community is really remarkable. I just kept pushing and pushing because I knew it would be wonderful.”
And as Paul pointed out, “Where else can you get designer fashions in Oakdale? This is not sad, picked-over stuff that you see on the clearance racks. The buzz is really starting. Eighty percent off gets my attention and if I can shop and contribute to my favorite charity, that’s great. And of course, all the sales tax stays here in Oakdale.”
Clothing for all shapes and sizes will be available, including plus-size fashions by designer Joan Vass. Other designers include but are not limited to: Ann Taylor, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Tahari, and Via Spiga.
For ticket information, call Family Support Network at 531-7807.
