GLAM Night Out to help raise funds for WVU Tech athletics

Beckley, W.Va. – The largest fundraising event for West Virginia University Institute of Technology’s athletic department in the last decade will happen on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Resort at Glade Springs.

GLAM Night Out is a fashion show event featuring designers and local retailers, community members, Tech employees, student-athletes and special guests.

WVNS’s Izzy Post and Logan Ross will be emceeing the exclusive event. The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) is the GLAM Night Out presenting sponsor.

WVU Tech and the NRGRDA have partnered together for this event to help bring awareness to the growing textile and apparel industry in the area, tying in with NRGRDA’s PATTERN Project. Planning and Accelerating Textile Technology and Entrepreneurship Regional Network (PATTERN) is a collaborative regional approach to accelerating the outdoor and manufacturing industry in the New River Gorge area. The project leverages assets within the region’s rural and coal-impacted communities. Working with established and successful organizations in West Virginia and North Carolina, the project will help develop a ready workforce, investments into manufacturing, artisan resources and leveraging of culturally relevant skills.

“We have always broken the mold of traditional economic development and operated within a collaborative ecosystem of supporting programs and industry expansion, and our newest textile initiative is no different. We’re excited to publicly highlight the goals of PATTERN and celebrate the existing textile industry in West Virginia and support Golden Bear Athletics as the presenting sponsor of GLAM Night Out,” says Jenna Grayson, Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.

Many West Virginia retailers, including Ivor’s Trunk, Indie Sparrow Boutique, Tony the Tailor, Yarid’s Shoes, EyeCandy Optical and Reid Miller will be featured in the show. Additionally, Beckley native and Los Angeles-based fashion designer Ripley Rader and Nesha Sanghavi, Charleston native, West Virginia University alumna and founder of chicka-d and UG Apparel’s new collections, will have fashions featured in the show.

The goal of the event, in addition to raising funds for Golden Bear athletics, is to showcase the growing textile and apparel innovators in our area. Athletes, coaches, community members, alumni and special guests will serve as models on the runway.

“We’re so excited to have so many great folks involved with this event and are so appreciative of the support they show to the Golden Bear family,” said Jen Wood, Executive Director of University Relations at WVU Tech and committee chair for GLAM Night Out.

“We are very excited to bring GLAM Night Out to our community and have had an overwhelmingly positive response to this event. The ability to partner with our community members in this way is something we couldn’t do without the planning committee’s efforts. This event will help us reach an audience we wouldn't otherwise get to engage with. I can't thank our sponsors, models and volunteers enough for their willingness to make this idea come to fruition,” says Kenny Howell, Athletic Director at WVU Tech.

All funds from the event will benefit Golden Bear athletics and help provide scholarships and an enhanced student-athlete experience, says Howell.

WVU Tech has eighteen varsity sports and approximately 400 student-athletes in the 2022 season. Last season, the Golden Bears had three NAIA All-American scholars, 76 River States Conference/Appalachian Athletic Conference All-Conference athletes and 82 River States Conference/Appalachian Athletic Conference All-Conference scholar-athletes.  

General admission and VIP tickets, as well as sponsorships, are available through October 8, 2022.

An exclusive VIP reception for sponsors will feature special surprises. VIPs will also enjoy preferred seating for the fashion show.

General admission tickets are $75 and include admission to a pre-show reception and general seating for the fashion show.

The VIP reception begins at 7:30 p.m. and the general admission reception begins at 8:00 p.m., with the fashion show to follow. The event will wrap up with a dessert and coffee reception for all guests.

For additional ticket and sponsorship information or to purchase tickets, visit wvutech.edu/glam. Questions about the event can be sent to Jen Wood, Executive Director of University Relations at jennifer.wood@mail.wvu.edu or 304-929-1400.