By Journalist Ms. Jones
POUGHKEEPSIE – Hundreds of women showed up for a night out with the ladies on Wednesday, October 10th at The Grandview. Girls Night Out is a free annual event by Q92/iHeartRadio where ladies get to hang out with their friends while sampling food, desserts, and drinks.
Brooklyn native, now Hudson Valley resident, Chamell Wilson attended Girls Night Out for the first time.
“I think it’s very beautiful. It feels good to see that they did all of this for women… The food was awesome… I had brisket, fried pickles… coleslaw, and pulled pork,” said Wilson who said she would return next year and bring some girlfriends.
Upon entering Girls Night Out, ladies received a red ticket which they could use for chips to play casino games or for five raffle tickets which they could use at the prize table for a chance to win prizes from vendors at the end of the night.
“I was very entertained… I’m excited for my raffle. Hopefully I’ll win something,” said Tara Johnson who attended with her family and friends.
Many companies showcased their products during Girls Night Out.
“I am so excited to be at the Girls Night Out… There’s such awesome people here and so many fun things to do… We are continuing to make the women in the Hudson Valley more beautiful than they already are,” said Carolyn Bordenstein from Mary Kay.
Businesses also offered complimentary services during Girls Night Out.
“Tonight, we are curling, flat ironing, or braiding hair… We like to have fun. We do a lot of stuff for the community,” said Tori Krempski, manager of Locks that Rock Hair Design in Wappinger Falls.
Organizations spread awareness and shared information about programs available in the community.
“What we’re promoting tonight is the Women’s Imaging Center and the Cancer Center because…. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Dr. Christine Pellegrino from the MidHudson Regional Hospital, formerly know as St. Francis. “We really wanna get women screened because what we know for sure is that the earlier we can diagnose breast cancer, the better the outcome is.”
The MidHudson Regional Hospital will be offering free breast cancer exams and mammograms for females ages 50-64 who are uninsured or underinsured on October 25th and 30th.
Senator Sue Serino took silly photos in the photo booth, took pictures with attendees, and visited vendor tables during the event.
“This was great. It was a really good event. I ran into so many great people… It was fun,” said Serino who grew up in Wappingers and is currently running for her third term.
“Infrastructure is really important to me and keeping our business owners here.”