As Beyonce famously sang, “Who runs the world?” And as we all know, the correct response is “girls.” And here at NASH, Z Club is the equivalent to Beyonce.

Z Club is a female-based club that raises money for women’s initiatives in both the Pittsburgh area and global community. There are Z clubs all over the United States and they all have the same universal goal of creating better lives for women.

This club specifically stands for female empowerment, and senior Sam Marien, club president, is eager to make this school year the best ever for the group.

“The club consists of a bunch of girls supporting girls and that’s always a good time,” Marien said. “The primary goal is to have girls and women come together throughout the community to volunteer and empower one another.”

The biggest event the club hosts each year is The Glass Slipper Ball, which will take place this Saturday, March 2nd at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cranberry, PA. This extravagant event raises money for organizations that are dedicated to dealing with issues such as human trafficking, domestic violence, and education for women. The event is big for not only the club but also for the city of Pittsburgh. Big names from all over the greater Pittsburgh area attend the event to benefit these organizations. 

Typically, there is a turn out of about 300 to 500 people, including numerous significant figures like Keith Rothfus and other state officials. The sponsor for this club, Mrs. Yingling, emphasized how impactful the event is for Pittsburgh.

“Each year,” Yingling said, “about $50,000 to $75,000 is brought in through this event.”

With tickets priced at $110, in addition to the various businesses who pay to be there, the beneficiaries of the event receive a generous amount of donations. 

The ball raises money for three initiatives. The first is Living In Liberty, an organization that offers a safe house for victims of sex trafficking and the opportunity for outreach for victims on the streets. These victims are introduced to secure living arrangements, health care, counseling, education, and legal referrals.

The ball also raises money for Treasure House Fashions, a company that sells clothes to women in crisis and teaches them the ways of money management — all while restoring their sense of dignity.

Lastly, the event helps Zephaniah, which aims to provide free education to women in the Middle East. The school services more than 200 girls seven days a week. All three of these charities emphasize the values of Z club and the goal of empowering women to own their potential. 

Z Club is for any girl of any age, but this year the turnout was mostly from the senior class.  Marien hopes that changes in the future.

“I tried to get more girls from the junior class involved, but not many were interested,” she said. “It was disappointing because it’s not a very demanding club and it looks really good on college applications. So to all junior girls:  Z Club is something to seriously think about for next year! Be a leader and join Z Club!”