Business & Tech
Hopkinton's Baypath Shelter Benefits from 'Paws for a Cause' Fashion Show at Lyn Evans in Westborough
Lyn Evans Potpourri Designs goes to the dogs. Fashionable women put the dog on. It was doggone great. Nobody barked their shins. When people went home, they had tales to tell.
A Hopkinton animal shelter benefitted from a unique event combining fashion, fun, and animal welfare Thursday night.
Lyn Evans’ Potpourri Designs in Westborough's Lyman Street shopping center held its third annual Paws for a Cause Charity Night of Fashion.
Women from Hopkinton, Westborough and nearby towns came to Lyn Evans’ Potpourri Designs to upgrade their wardrobes and enjoy wine, cheese and appetizers while supporting the Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton animal shelter.
Find out what's happening in Holliston-Hopkintonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The lively, enthusiastic group made the event a great social occasion. Groups of friends laughed, enjoyed wine, tried on clothes and generally had a good time.
The event was hatched three years ago when Terry Meltzer, who is on Baypath’s board of directors, came to the store to shop and found that store manager Linda Zoltowski and associate Cherise Root had adopted dogs from the shelter.
Find out what's happening in Holliston-Hopkintonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A friendship bloomed. The thought arose that the store would be a great place to hold a fundraiser.
“Lyn Evans is gracious enough to host and run this event for us every year,” Meltzer said.
“It’s wonderful," she said. "And as you can see it’s a great time."
Meltzer said 100 percent of money raised from prize raffles and $10 tickets to the show go to Baypath. Ten percent of clothing sales from the night also go to Baypath.
There was a silent auction for tickets to the Red Sox, a New Kids on the Block show at Fenway Park and James Taylor at Tanglewood.
Owner Lyn Evans has six other stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
“We connect with our customers," she said. "It gives people a feeling we’re part of the community.
"It’s giving back," Evans said. "People support us so we like to support them.”
Evans knows that members of her staff have adopted animals from Baypath.
“So we thought why don’t we try this, give them a venue to raise money," she said. "It's been fabulous.”
Fabulous was the word. For a night, Lyn Evans became the friendliest salon in Westborough. Women from Hopkinton, Westborough, Southborough and beyond ate, drank and shopped for beautiful clothes. Best of all, the Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton animal shelter, 5 Rafferty Road off Cedar Street past the southeast end of the reservoir, got a great cash donation.