By Nicole Matheson
This weekend is the WNEA’s annual Shopping Extravaganza Sip and Shop 2.0 in the main conference room at the Quality Inn & Suites on Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event aims to raise scholarship funds for the WNEA, or Women’s Network Exchange of AZ.

Small businesses gather during this time and sell their goods while after 11 a.m., shoppers can treat themselves to the cash bar at Kitchen 738, a new restaurant inside of the remodeled Quality Inn & Suites.

There will be more than 20 vendors present at Sip and Shop and admission is free to the public. There will also be raffles with prizes.

“The shopping extravaganza is WNEA’s signature event that has been around for over 20 years in Lake Havasu City and was hosted by members who were the pioneers of this group and WNEA likes to keep up the tradition,” said interim President Janet Cruz, “We invite the community to come shop, support our vendors businesses and help us raise funds for our scholarship fund.”

Damsel in Defense vendor with a customer at previous WNEA Shopping Extravaganza sip and shop event.

Although Sip and Shop events are popular these days, WNEA’s was one of the first of its kind. It is used to fund its scholarship program, and Cruz shared that, “Each year we award two to three scholarships to women over the age of 19 and up. Awards are $1,500 each.”

WNEA is a local nonprofit organization and a network of successful business women in Lake Havasu.

“Our membership offers a place of sharing ideas, knowledge, friendship and experiences to support each other in business and in life,” Cruz explained. “We provide a forum here in Lake Havasu City for women to network with other business women and individuals to support each other with their own unique individual expertise. Fundamentals of WNEA revolve around networking, education, providing tools, skills and gaining knowledge that will provide support to strengthen business and personal relationships.”

For more information on the Shopping Extravaganza Sip and Shop event, please email wnealhcaz@gmail.com