Spotlight On: Women of Waynesville

By Emma Castleberry

Women of Waynesville (WOW) began in 2012 as a platform for women to connect with one another while providing support for the community. “We were first and foremost a fundraising organization,” says founding member Katie Vanderpool, “but we became a close-knit group of friends as well. Over the years, as with any organization, people come and go, things ebb and flow, but being a source of support to others and a way to give back to the community has always been our core mission.”

WOW provides substantial financial and volunteer support (which members call WOWer Power) to a variety of organizations in Haywood County. In the last decade, WOW has raised more than $275,000 to support local nonprofits. They use innovative fundraising methods and are perhaps best-known for their playful annual naked calendar, inspired by the 2003 movie Calendar Girls.

“All photos are of current members: real women with real bodies,” says president Becca Swanger.

The calendar hits on the holistic mission of WOW because it’s their largest fundraiser of the year, making all of their annual support possible, while also serving as a fun bonding experience for the women in the group. “We just have a whole lot of fun with it,” says Swanger. “Deciding a theme, planning shoots and pulling it all together brings our members a lot of joy and a lot of pride.”

The calendar has been shot by photographer Craig Burgwardt for several years and members often donate design and editing skills to keep the production costs low. Local businesses also support the calendar by buying advertisements. The theme for the 2025 calendar, which will debut on October 19, is “Goddess.”

“This year’s theme has been very empowering for our members,” says Swanger. “They have done an amazing job bringing their interpretation of historical Roman, Greek and other mythical Goddesses to life.”

When selecting nonprofits to support, the main criteria is that the organization must benefit the women and children of Haywood County.

“Over the last 12 years we have established relationships with multiple local organizations and try to support as many as we can,” says Swanger. “Nonprofits such as the Haywood County Schools Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brother Big Sister, and Pathways are agencies we partner with often, and we try to fill in the gaps where their funding or scope may fall short.”

Another creative support effort organized by WOW is their Stealth Missions. “This is our referral and application program which provides direct support to an individual or family in need,” says Swanger. “This can include paying a security deposit on a new apartment, fuel gift cards to get them to work, groceries, car repairs—you name it, we’ve probably helped with it.” WOW also provides connections to other organizations in the area to ensure the person making a request is aware of the resources available to them.

“What first started out as surprising local families with paying off their Christmas layaway from Walmart and K-Mart has grown into something that our community has come to depend on,” says Swanger. Another notable way that WOW supports the community is with its Lynda Chovan Memorial Scholarship, which has helped send eight Haywood County young women to college.

WOW offers crucial support to Haywood County residents in need, and it also offers something of great value to its members: a woman-specific space where friendships flourish.

“The women of WOW are just incredible, made of all ages, backgrounds, career choices and experiences,” says vice president Alice Adams, who joined in 2021 after her retirement. “I know that if I were to need anything at all—and I have—my WOW buddies are there for me. And to be able to volunteer with them to help the women and children of Haywood County? It doesn’t get much better than that.”

For more information or to purchase a $25 calendar, visit WomenofWaynesville.org.