Tucsonans can raise a glass in support of kids battling chronic and serious illnesses during Cocktails for Courage on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Originate Natural Building Materials.
A fundraiser for the nonprofit Beads of Courage, the event celebrates a dual-20th anniversary for BOC’s arts-in-medicine programs and for Originate, a local and regional resource for environmentally-friendly building materials and architectural salvage.
“I felt like it was synchronous. We are both turning 20 and at Originate we organized 20 Days of Giving, which I thought was a good way to highlight other businesses and nonprofits doing great things while giving back to the community that I love,” said Natasha Winnik, owner of Originate.
The 20 Days of Giving will continue through Saturday, Oct. 28. It features a range of in-kind and fundraising events such as a hygiene drive for Primavera Foundation; a hemp-building demonstration; and in-kind donations to attain flooring and paint for I Am You 360, which provides housing and support for at-risk young adults in an effort disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Donations for many of the causes will be accepted throughout the end of the year.
Winnik wants to support organizations that she finds inspiring. Those include Beads of Courage, which was founded by her long-time friend, Jean Gribbon. Gribbon is on a mission to help children and youth record, tell and own their stories of survival through the art form of beads. The beads, many of which are custom-made, are given to honor their courage during medical procedures and treatments.
“Jean has taken a painful process and created beauty within it. She is bringing the art of beads to children and their families during a challenging time. She is bringing light to something that is very hard and can be very dark,” said Winnik.
Attendees at Cocktails for Courage can experience that light for themselves: They have the opportunity to create a 20th Anniversary strand with unique beads made by local artists such as Petra Juarez, Bronwen Heilman and Everett Grondin Sr.
Attendees at Cocktails for Courage can experience that light for themselves: They have the opportunity to create a 20th Anniversary strand with unique beads made by local artists such as Petra Juarez, Bronwen Heilman (whose work is pictured) and Everett Grondin Sr.
The evening, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at 948 N. Main Ave., will also feature food, a custom cocktail and live music. Tickets are $50 per person, and you must be 21 or older to attend.
For tickets or more information, visit beadsofcourage.org/cocktails-for-courage.
See what today's weather forecast looks like in Tucson. Music provided by Crystal Shards via Canva.
