Men had on their best high heels Saturday night to raise money and awareness for Dress for Success River Cities’ third annual Sips, Suds and Stilettos fundraising event. 

According to their website, “Dress for Success River Cities is a non-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to help women thrive in work and life.”

The event was originally a 5K race with a “Stiletto Stroll” added in as an activity. 

“People loved it! They would come out to the race, not to cheer people on to the finish line, but to see the guys run (in heels), so we decided to make it a separate event,” said Jessica Hudson, the executive director.

During the event, men of all ages picked out heels and participated in the Stiletto Stroll, racing to the finish line without breaking an ankle. They also had the opportunity to show off in a Stiletto Strut, where they could show off their best moves while donning the heels. Attendees could donate to their favorite contestants. Prizes were given for various categories including best strut, most money raised and best legs. 

William Glavaris is a yearly stroller participant and has been a weekly volunteer at the boutique for four years.

“I wish they knew how much it’s needed in the community, ya know with the drug epidemic, ya know, the poverty in the area,” Glavaris said. “So many people need help, and this organization helps women get dressed and get prepared for jobs, so it’s a really great thing.”

Dress for Success does more than just give out appropriate work clothing. “We help with resumes, cover letters, mock interviews. We have a career center where they can come in to use the computer,” Hudson says. “And then we have workshops. We do everything from financial literacy to professional makeup class.”

This year’s theme was Denim and Diamonds, to raise awareness that not all jobs require professional attire. The organization also takes donations of jeans, shirts, work boots and other clothing pieces that may be used for nontraditional women’s jobs. 

Next year will have a new theme with even more activities for attendees. 

“It’s a fun event, everyone should do it and come down,” Glavaris said. 

Dress for Success helps between 500 to 600 women in the tristate each year. There were roughly 100 attendees to this year’s event with roughly $8,000 raised. 

Brittany Hively can be contacted at [email protected].