The 13th annual Little Black Dress event was held on Sat., Nov. 9th in the Turton gym. Organizers estimated that 100 people came to the event, in spite of the dreary weather.
Little Black Dress started with a desire to help. Team Turton was put together for Relay for Life one year. After that event, team members wanted to do more. Someone they knew was sick, so the team wanted to help raise funds. This led to the Little Black Dress event in 2011. The event was originally at night, a sort of “Ladies’ Night Out” gathering. A couple of years ago, it was changed to daytime hours.
“We’re little, but we have big, generous hearts.” Team Turton president Ashlee Hansen and committee member Heather Rahm spoke of the community. They said that participation in Team Turton was a way to give back. The Little Black Dress event was the primary fundraiser for the Team Turton fund. This fund was set up to support members of the community, as well as those with ties, who were going through “life-altering events.” The raised monies would generally be given to citizens of Spink County, though exceptions could be made. Funds supported people going through experiences such as a house fire, or having a baby in neonatal intensive care. Other beneficiaries over the years included area hospitals, Childrens’ Miracle Network, Angel Tree, and Doland School.

They mentioned a couple of ways that the group could receive funds to distribute. Vendors would pay a set fee for a table at the Little Black Dress event. They could sell their wares to shoppers looking for gifts, perhaps. There were sponsorships from businesses. Personal donations were also accepted. Sometimes people would request that for funerals, in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Team Turton fund in their honor.
Hansen and Rahm said that every year of the Little Black Dress event had been a little different. The name had grown. More people had heard of the event.
Committee member Danielle Teigen said that the event was all a group effort. She stated that the 12-member committee had started planning the 2024 Little Black Dress event back in August. There were lots of things to put together. Vendors were not all local, but were mainly from the area. One long-time vendor, Deb, known for her Tupperware business, said she’d been coming since about the 3rd year. She said “It’s a great group to work with, and I love their cause.” Other vendors echoed their appreciation. Various wares were found on vendors’ tables. Some items were: towels, specialty cutting boards, nail appliques, make up, wine, jam, Christmas décor, jewelry, and kitchen supplies. Patrons said that they enjoyed the Little Black Dress event. Formal attire was not required, but one lucky patron won the drawing for a little black dress.