On a gorgeous July evening, Pat Miller, her daughter Johanna, and their faithful group of friends gathered to celebrate a 21-year tradition of supporting DVCC’s work through Pat’s “Swim Night” fundraising event. Over the years, Pat and her friends have raised more than $42,000 for DVCC through this annual, private event.
A Weston resident and residential designer, Pat first learned about DVCC while working on a home design project for Joanna Moody, a former counselor at DVCC.
“I never knew a place like DVCC existed, a place that would protect survivors and provide these services,” Pat said.
After talking with Joanna, Pat was eager to find a way to support the organization.
“I thought of the children who experienced this. I know it’s tough on the parents, but I thought of how hard it was for the children who had to move to the safe house,” she said. “I knew they were better off being out of the violence, but still, I thought, how scary for them. I wanted to help.”
Pat’s home has a large pool in the backyard. Her initial idea was to offer the pool as a place for safe house families to enjoy.
“It turned out there were too many issues around liability and insurance to make that happen, and I understood, but I really wanted to do something,” Pat said.
At the time, she was taking a dance class with some friends. She got the idea to invite the group to her home after their class and ask them to donate to DVCC. The ladies brought food and drinks and had a great time.
“And yes, we actually did swim!” Pat said. “We don’t anymore, but we did for years.”
This year’s “Swim Night” was especially meaningful after the isolation of the pandemic. The group gathered and raised $2,200 for DVCC. Suzanne Adam, DVCC’s Executive Director, spoke at the event.
“This year was really special. It was great to hear how DVCC has grown as an agency. It was so interesting to learn about the work the organization is doing to help survivors with sustainability.”
Pat said her daughter looks forward to continuing the tradition.
If you are interested in hosting a private fundraising event to support DVCC, please contact Kim Polley at [email protected] for more information.
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