Community Turns Out to Celebrate Women at Paint the Town Pink

Wheeling, W.V., June 18, 2022- Crittenton Services could not have picked a more beautiful evening to hold their signature event, Paint the Town Pink: Wild and Wonderful Women.

Over 200 people attended the elegant fundraiser honoring many amazing women who have made an impact in West Virginia on Saturday, June 18 from 6pm - 10pm at Wheeling’s Heritage Port. The special evening featured spectacular views of the river, heavy hors d’oeuvres, local craft beer and wine, live music by Huntington-based band Cypress, a silent auction, and multiple raffle prizes.

The waterfront was transformed into an elegant outdoor ballroom with delicate floral arrangements, enchanting lighting, and displays of women, both past and present, who have changed the lives of countless children, women, and families across the state.

“We provide services in local elementary schools through our TIES (Trauma-Informed Elementary Schools) and Willow Tree Learning Academy programs, for the greater community through Wellspring Family Services, and for at-risk adolescent women and young mothers through our residential program,” said Public Communications and Event Coordinator Jasmin Ilovar. “It makes perfect sense that this year’s theme shines the spotlight on the women that make this state special. We hope that these women will not only inspire our guests but will also inspire our clients to know that they too can achieve great things despite their traumatic histories of abuse and neglect.”

Ilovar credited the Ohio County Public Library for generously researching West Virginia women who are and were influential in the Mountain State during their respective times and fields.

Director of Marketing & Public Relations E. J. Schodzinski welcomed the large crowd and thanked the community for their support. “Crittenton Services has been making a difference in the lives of women, children, and families since 1895,” he said. “Our mission has been faithfully supported by the good people of the Ohio Valley for 128 years, and this loyalty is clearly illustrated by the number of donors, business partners, community leaders, schools, and volunteers celebrating with us tonight.”

Schodzinski noted that the renovation of the Wade House, one of the major capital projects completed at Crittenton this year, was made entirely possible by community donations, enabling the agency to serve more young women and children in need of care. The project was also lifted by a volunteer construction crew from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KY. Led by Sister Luke Boiarski, the volunteers converged on Wheeling from five different states and spent a week on site to help complete the renovation.

President and CEO Richard Royse echoed Schodzinski’s comments and commended the Crittenton staff for their overall excellence. “Crittenton is synonymous with quality and our employees do an amazing job every single day working as a team to help women, children, and families who need it the most,” he said. “As a result, we were recognized recently by the Council of Accreditation (COA), the national benchmark for meeting high performance standards and making a commitment to our stakeholders to deliver the very best quality services.”

Paint the Town Pink: Wild and Wonderful Women was made possible by the generous support of area sponsors: Aetna, Bordas & Bordas, Christian Fellowship Foundation, Commonwealth Financial Services, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, The Health Plan, WesBanco, Phillips, Gardill, Kaiser & Altmeyer, Belmont Savings Bank, Costanzo & Associates, DiCarlo’s Pizza, The Glessner Group, Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal, Kingery & Company, Liberty Distributors, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff, Preferred Legacy Trust, Raymond James Financial Services, Sam’s Club, Schaeffer & Madama, West Virginia Kids Count, West Virginia Northern Community College, Ziegenfelder, CMS Bank Card Services, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia, County Line Tree Service, Gompers Pharmacy, Main Street Bank, McDonalds, Ohio County Public Library, and Youth Services Systems.

All proceeds from Paint the Town Pink benefits residential and behavioral health services to children and families throughout West Virginia.