This past April 2017, Waterside shops reached their goal of raising $15,000 for Champions For Learning™. This was all part of the Sip & Shop Sundays events that they host each Sunday. 

We were able to get in touch with Anne Fleming, General Manager of Waterside Shops, to learn a little bit more about this success and the event that hosted it.

Tell us a little bit about Waterside Shops and its philanthropy. Has it always been a part of the shops' mission to give back to the community?

Yes but much more so in recent years due to the importance of philanthropy to our guests.

Waterside shops recently donated a large amount of funds earned to the Champions For Learning, that's amazing! How did this connection come about?

In fall 2015, Waterside Shops started hosting a series of Sip & Shop Sundays with live entertainment and a Bloody Mary Bar. At that time, a different charity received the bar proceeds each week.

After the first season, and as the event evolved, we decided to partner with one charity for the entire season in order to make a more significant donation. We also decided to seek matching gifts from corporate sponsors.

This year, bar proceed for the Sip & Shop Sunday series were almost $5,000 and the two matching gifts bumped it up to $15,000. We were thrilled to be able to assist teachers and students in Collier County with this gift to Champions For Learning™.

What are the future goals for Watershed Shops in regards to their philanthropy?

Waterside Shops partners with about 20 local charities annually, giving back over $300,000 each year.

Is there a way someone else can get involved, too?

Our philanthropic philosophy is to build long-term partnerships with community leaders. Many of our events have been going on for almost a decade. We like creating individual events for each specific charity, such as brunch for wine festival volunteers, student fashion show for Community School of Naples, Boo Bash for the Golissano Children’s Museum, etc.

We also have several signature events like Sip & Shop Sundays where the beneficiary rotates each year, like our annual Craving Fashion event and Coins for a Cause.

Are there any upcoming events we should know about?

Our biggest annual fundraising event is Craving Fashion 2017 (Sep 22, 2017 5:30PM), a food event that features 30+ of the top restaurants and caterers in SW FL. Tickets for the 5th annual Craving Fashion go on sale July 1st @ $75 each for all you can eat & drink.

We expect to donate over $30,000 to United Way of Collier County!


To learn more about Waterside Shops, you can visit their website.