Rock & Rails helps international club

Last week’s Rock & Rails had the Women’s International Niwot Club (WINC) as the beneficiary of the tip jars.

WINC started a few years ago as a offshoot from Daughters of the British Empire in the area.

Club President Deborah Read Fowler said that since its inception, most of the club’s donations have gone to the Niwot Children’s Park, but they also give to Children First of the Rockies and other charities.

“At the end of the year we email members and ask them to nominate charities,” Fowler said. “Then we put those out to vote and split the funds for the top three. Sometimes there are more than three, but we try to keep it all local charities.”

The group is open to anyone with an interest in learning about other cultures or sharing their own.

“We’re open to any women who want to come out,” Fowler said. “We have about 12 nationalities represented. It’s a good landing spot for people who have just moved here.”

The group has 65 members currently and holds anywhere from seven to 10 events each month.

Fowler, who is originally from England, said that they include coffee mornings, cooking classes, going to the theater, wine tastings and various dinners.

Their big events include a Christmas faire at the Left Hand Grange in December and trivia night at the 1914 House.

“We do a lot of things where kids and spouses can get involved as well,” Fowler said. “There’s something for everybody really. We try to have a good mixture of events.

“It’s good to just to have a lot of fun and talk about things. Being from England, it is good to reminisce about things. But we have people from around the world, so it’s nice to hear about their culture.”

Fowler said that one of the biggest parts of the club is to make newcomers feel welcome.

“It’s always a challenge when you move somewhere new,” Fowler said. “You want to have the best doctor or dentist, or dog groomer, what have you … It’s nice to be able to point them in the right direction. It serves Niwot well.”

Rock & Rails begins at 5 p.m. each Thursday with happy hour and music at Whistle Stop Park. The headline band starts around 6:30.

More information on WINC can be found at http://www.winc.club.