Women-and-girls-only Galentine's Gala Feb. 6 at The Arts Center benefiting Safe Shelter

A community-focused Galentine's Gala organized by Melissa Thury of Balance & Business with Melissa will bring women and girls together Feb. 6 at The Arts Center, 115 2nd St. SW, for an evening of socializing and fundraising that aims to strengthen local supports. The ticketed event will benefit Safe Shelter and is limited to 100 attendees, underscoring both intimacy and intentional space for connection.

The program includes a social hour, dinner, silent and live auctions, raffles and a purse auction. Organizers say many auction items come from female-owned businesses in the region, highlighting small-business circulation of philanthropic dollars and the role of women entrepreneurs in the local economy. A Buffalo Gal VIP tour donated by the North American Bison Discovery Center is among highlighted auction experiences, offering a distinctive local outing for winners.

Tickets are priced at $50 for a single and $75 for a pair and are available through Eventbrite. Sponsor table opportunities are also being offered, allowing local groups and businesses to support the event while increasing visibility at the gala. Attendance is capped at 100, a limit that encourages early purchase and helps organizers plan for dining and auction logistics.

Beyond the gala's social elements, the event has public health and social equity implications. Raising funds for Safe Shelter supports a local safety net that serves residents in crisis and helps maintain vital community resources. Creating a women-and-girls-only evening can foster peer networks, reduce social isolation and open informal pathways to support services and economic opportunities. When local nonprofits and businesses collaborate in this way, financial assistance and local job creation can circulate back into neighborhoods across Stutsman County.

The gala also models community-based philanthropy that centers women's leadership and reciprocity. By spotlighting female-owned donors and local cultural attractions such as the North American Bison Discovery Center, the event connects charitable giving with regional identity and small-business resilience. Organizers frame the evening as both a night out and a deliberate act of giving back, encouraging attendees to invest in local safety and services.

For Jamestown and surrounding communities, the Galentine's Gala represents a moment to combine celebration with civic responsibility. With limited seats and a range of auction items donated by local partners, the event will test community appetite for targeted fundraising that reinforces social supports. Residents interested in attending or sponsoring a table should secure tickets through Eventbrite soon; the gala promises an opportunity to network, support local women-led initiatives and contribute financially to Safe Shelter's work.