United Way of Southern Kentucky is having its third annual Handbags for Hope Live and Silent Purse Auction at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Knicely West Conference Center, 2355 Nashville Road, to raise money for Kindergarten Readiness Programs.

Board member Ann Puckett said the bulk of the event’s funds will be directed toward early childhood education dollars that will be distributed throughout the community.

“It’s a sold out event and it’s going to be bigger and better than last year. We’re looking forward to having a evening of fun and fellowship while we raise money for an excellent cause,” Puckett said.

The event started in 2014 as an opportunity to get women together to raise money for the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, said Donor Relations Manager Keshia Ingram. The program began in 1996 when Parton decided to foster a love of reading in her hometown in Tennessee by ensuring that all children would have books, regardless of their family’s income. The program has expanded internationally and is now available in southern Kentucky thanks to Parton, United Way and community sponsors.

United Way thought the auction would be a great fundraising event since the Imagination Library is for children and no one cares more about children than women, and women like purses, Ingram said. This year’s Handbags for Hope is sponsored by Erie Insurance and presented by Charles M. Moore Insurance and CGS Machine & Tool.

“We thought that this was an awesome opportunity to have another event where we can raise money for a program that we have here, but then also to just bring people together in the community,” Ingram said. “Women getting together in a room to buy purses and to get excited about that, but then also for a really great cause.” 

The event has grown a lot over the past couple years with 30 women attending the first year in 2014. In 2015 that grew to more than 200 and this year’s event is already sold out at 350 women. The first two years raised $40,000 and United Way hopes to raise $45,000 in this year alone, Ingram said. 

The silent auction begins at 5:30 p.m. and co-chairperson Glynda Chu said there are more than 50 different items that are set up to be compliments to the purses such as outfits, jewelry and gift cards. The live auction starts at 6:30 p.m. with 11 designer purses up for grabs. There will be a cash bar and food available.

“It’s a wonderful evening and it goes for a good cause and all of this money will go toward buying books for children birth to 5-years-old in our community,” Chu said. “The women in our community are fantastic and it will be a great evening, a lot of fun and we really expect it to be a successful evening for the children in our community.” 

— Follow faith/general assignments reporter Simone C. Payne on Twitter @SimonePayne or visit bgdailynews.com.