Benefit women, girls through Denim & Diamonds

The Marjaree Mason Center’s Clovis Safe House provides shelter and supportive services for women who flee from abusive relationships — and it does it with the community’s help.

For the children of those women, the center recently installed a playground, but the summer heat made it impossible for the kids to play on the scorching equipment during the day, said Judith Preuss, Soroptimist International of Clovis secretary and chair of the upcoming Denim & Diamonds event.

The Clovis chapter of the philanthropy group hopes to raise $25,000 through its event to purchase a Cool Top for the Safe House playground.

A Cool Top, or canopy that stretches over the entire area to provide shade, would allow children to swing across the monkey bars and go down the slide all year long, Preuss said.

The 15th annual Denim & Diamonds dinner and auction will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at Clovis Rodeo Hall. Tickets, which cost $40, are available at A Book Barn, 640 Clovis Ave. or via email at siclovis2015@gmail.com.

Jody Jo Mize of KISS Country will emcee the event, which will include silent and live auctions, a no-host bar and live music by Kuzzin Mel & Peggy. Barbecue dinner will be provided by Clovis Kiwanis. Details: www.siclovis.org.

Denim & Diamonds will also provide funds for educational scholarships.

Soroptimist International is a volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.

The Clovis chapter awards three $500 Live Your Dream scholarships each year to local women and girls. An additional $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a woman attending San Joaquin College of Law in Clovis and majoring in women’s advocacy, Preuss said.

This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Benefit women, girls through Denim & Diamonds."