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Whole Food's surprises downtown shoppers on International Women's Day

Thursday is International Women's Day, and Whole Food's had a special surprise in store for it's downtown Austin shoppers.

A flash mob took over the Whole Food’s Market on South Lamar for a good cause.

The flash mob was held in honor of International Women’s Day on Thursday, and it caught some lunch time shoppers by surprise.

“I didn't know what I was going to get for lunch, so I was just thinking about that and when I heard the music I thought this was an event for South by [Southwest],” said Gabrielle Orlando, a Whole Food’s shopper. “I saw everyone surrounding it and got sucked in."

Whole Food’s nonprofit, Whole Planet Foundation, put on the event to celebrate International Women’s Day and raise awareness.

Joy Stoddard, the development and outreach director for Whole Planet Foundation, said there was a message behind all the fancy footwork.

“We're celebrating the achievements of micro entrepreneurs,” said Stoddard. “Women around the globe that have started their own businesses with their micro credit loans we have funded and them lifting themselves and their families out of poverty."

They are doing this trough their Prosperity Campaign aimed at helping female entrepreneurs in poverty.

"Through the Prosperity Campaign at the Whole Foods Markets at the registers, if you donate 11 cents it can help a woman change her life,” said Stoddard.

According to the organization, all the donations will help women currently living in poverty both domestically and internationally. Stoddard said their goal is to raise over three million dollars by the end of March.

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