The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter Thrift Store recently won a national award for “Outstanding Thrift Shop of the Year.” 

• Award: The NWA thrift store won a 2022 Purple Ribbon Award, selected by a national panel of respected professionals in the field of domestic violence. The Purple Ribbon Awards are the “first comprehensive awards program honoring members of the domestic violence movement.”
• Celebrate: For over 20 years, the NWA Women’s Shelter Thrift Store has been a key source for programs offered to women, men, and children in our community. The store is located at 1622 S 8th St in Rogers and will celebrate its award on September 19 from 9-5p by offering special sales, treats, and more. 

Read the KNWA story HERE. 

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently received funds to support the Northwest Arkansas Farmers' Market Alliance's Double Your Dollars program. 

• Funds: The Walmart Foundation donated $250,000, and the Alice L. Walton Foundation donated $100,000 to the Double Your Dollars program, which is an initiative that provides NWA residents access to healthy and affordable food at local farmers' markets. 
• Program: Double Your Dollars gives recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) vouchers with one-to-one dollar matched tokens for use at farmers' markets. In addition to healthy food purchases, the recent funds will support promotional efforts and nutrition education. 

Read more HERE. 

A movie was filmed in and around Fayetteville last spring and will be released in theaters this month. 

• On screen: The film is called House of Darkness and stars actors Justin Long and Kate Bosworth. Local film studio Rockhill Studios served as executive producers on the film, which will be a horror/mystery according to IMBD. It will be in limited theaters on September 9 and on streaming services on September 13. 
• In town: Last spring, the two main stars were seen around the downtown area in Fayetteville at locations such as Ozark Natural Foods, Hugo’s, Puritan, and the University of Arkansas campus. Let us know if you saw them! 

Read the Fayetteville Flyer story HERE. 

The Walmart Women's Empowerment Summit, presented by Kimberly-Clark and hosted by NextUp, takes place Thursday, September 22. It's NextUp's marquee annual event and will mark the first in-person summit since 2019. 

• Empower: NextUp (formerly Network of Executive Women) is a community of professional women, allies, and corporate partners who work to promote gender equality in the workplace and pave the way for tomorrow's leaders. One of the largest NextUp chapters is right here in Northwest Arkansas. 
• Learn: The Women's Empowerment Summit will be a half-day learning event at the Rogers Convention Center and examine workplace burnout while empowering attendees to own their "new normal." There will be breakfast and swag at the event, and you'll hear from local business leaders, a mental health professional, an award-winning keynote, LPGA champ Lydia Ko, and more.

Register for the event HERE, or sign up with the code NextUpFall2022 for 50% off a NextUp Memberships HERE.

The third annual Tour de Tacos is this Saturday, September 10, and online registration for the event closes today! 

• Stops: Tour de Tacos will include 100, 62, 30, and 7-mile bike rides along the Razorback Greenway, with restaurants and businesses set up to provide cyclists food and hydration. The top-voted taco stop will receive the Cyclist Choice Award. 
• Support: All rides will start and finish at KeyPoint Church in Bentonville and benefit women and families seeking economic independence through Dress for Success services. All proceeds from the event will go to them. Day-of-event registration will open at KeyPoint Church at 6a, so you last-minute folks can get in on the fun too! 

Learn more HERE.