Sandra and Renee were featured on The Morning Blend on August 31, 2007.


Flipanthropically Speaking
Grafton women put their best foot forward for charitable causes



FLIPANTHROPY DAY, a fund-raising event to benefit Women for Women International and Room To Read, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Vino 100 in downtown Grafton. The event has been organized by Renee Foutz (left) and Sandra Uihlein (right), who founded Flipanthropy this year to aid charitable organizations. They are shown with Stephanie Metz, co-owner of Vino 100.
Photo by Sam Arendt

By STEVE OSTERMANN
Ozaukee Press staff
Posted 8-8-07

Sandra Uihlein and Renee Foutz have flipped over a new project they created to help others.

The Grafton women are the founders of Flipanthropy, a nonprofit organization that raises money and awareness about two global charities -Women for Women International and Room To Read.

To drum up support, Flipanthropy sells custom-designed flip-flops for women that feature the organization's logo. The casual footwear will be a focal point during the fund-raising Flipanthropy Day at Vino 100, a Grafton wine store, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14.

"We both had an unfulfilled desire to do something for underprivileged people," Foutz said of her collaboration with Uihlein, which took root last spring. "At first, we didn't know exactly what to do or who to help, but then we heard about two organizations we thought would really be worthwhile."

Uihlein, a graphic designer, and Foutz, an emergency-room physician, turned their attention to Women for Women International, an organization that supports women in war-torn regions of Africa and the Middle East by providing financial aid, job-skills training and rights education.

They were also drawn to Room To Read, which establishes libraries and other learning tools in Third World countries.

As a fund-raising product, the duo opted for flip-flops "because we both wear them, and we knew our friends would buy them," Uihlein said.

Uihlein designed the logo for the venture, and an Oceanside, Calif., company was hired to manufacture the first 500 pairs of sandals she and Foutz bought to launch the campaign.

The flip-flops (pink or blue in sizes small, medium and large) sell for $30 a pair, with all proceeds from the first 500 going to the two benefitting organizations.

Uihlein and Foutz are getting the word out about their work through a Web site - www.flipanthrophy.org -as well enlisting the help of others who share their interest.

One of the first of many benefit events the pair plans to hold will be Tuesday, when Vino 100 co-owners Stephanie and David Metz host Flipanthropy Day in their Grafton Village Center store, 1239 Washington St..

In addition to flip-flop sales, the store will donate a portion of the day's sales of wine and gift items to the organization. There will also be food and prizes, including a gift certificate donated by Grafton Ski and Cyclery, an overnight stay in Door County, gift cards and coffee from Alterra Coffee Roasters. Milwaukee musician Tyler Traband will perform during the event.

Alterra Coffee, which is next to Vino 100, will also sell Flipanthropy flip-flops.

Stephanie Metz first heard about Flipanthropy through a chance meeting last month - when Uihlein and Foutz came to Vino 100 to buy wine for a party to launch their project. Metz didn't hesitate to offer her store for a fund-raiser.

"It wasn't difficult. I just thought it was neat that they were starting this to do something for somebody else," she said. "We wanted to start contributing to more charitable causes, too."

Although it's early in the game, Uihlein and Foutz have started spreading the word quickly. Their Web site includes information on a Flipanthropy benefit event in Seattle, and the duo hopes to hear from other charitable organizations their project can assist.

"We hope to be creative and to motivate others to make philanthropy and Flipanthropy a mission in their lives," Uihlein said.

Uihlien and Foutz can be reached by e-mail at sandra@flipanthropy.org and Renee@flipanthropy.org.

News article taken from http://www.ozaukeepress.com/grafton.html