Attendees to last week's FUSION charity event sipped wine, sampled tapas treats and eyed artwork before settling in for a live auction. The professional auctioneer called and cajoled the bidders in one very long run-on sentence as audience members flashed their red bidding cards. For $7000, one bidder won a two-week stay at a 5-bedroom, 3,000 ocean-view villa in Portugal. Another spent $2000 for a case of Juno Wine and a signed print by renowned South African artist Tertia du Toit.

FUSION (Friends United to Shelter the Indigent, Oppressed and Needy) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization founded in 1993. Over the past 13 years, the group has raised enough money to purchase and furnish nine housing units around the city. FUSION offers these apartments as transitional housing for women and their children who need assistance in their pursuit of stability and permanence, and has an 85 percent success rate in moving families on to permanent housing. Case management for the families is provided by the South King County YWCA.

Among the many sponsors and donors to the event on August 2 were Metropolitan Market, who donated $10,000 in food and service, and Home Street Bank. Until September 30, for each personal checking account opened with direct deposit, the Federal Way branch of HomeStreet Bank will donate $100 to FUSION.

More information is available at www.federalwayfusion.org.