FOLEY - The Foley Woman’s Club kicked off its 2021-2022 club year in September with a luncheon at Ivey’s (18427 Pennsylvania Street, Robertsdale). After a previous year with fewer meetings due to …
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FOLEY - The Foley Woman’s Club kicked off its 2021-2022 club year in September with a luncheon at Ivey’s (18427 Pennsylvania Street, Robertsdale). After a previous year with fewer meetings due to Hurricane Sally and COVID-19, the club members were happy to get together once more for food, fun and to perform services to the community as the club enters into its 100th year.
“Groups like this, organizations within our community, are what helps to enrich the lives in the communities that we serve,” said South Baldwin Chamber CEO/President Donna Watts, guest speaker at the kickoff event. “We’re all about helping nonprofits, because we are a nonprofit, and supporting each other as you go about doing your good deeds around the community. Not only do y’all have fun and fellowship together and have a lot of laughs, I can tell that, you also do great things for others in the community.”
During the kickoff event, club officers for the current year were inducted with a ceremony led by club member Joanna James. There are 22 full time members of the club and eight associate members. A goal of the club is to increase membership to 50 or 60 by the end of the year.
The club’s largest annual fundraiser is The Mad Hatters’ Event, which typically takes place in March. The funds raised from the event are donated to multiple women’s and children’s charities in Baldwin County. The club was unable to hold the event in 2020 due to COVID-19, but despite that and with the use of emergency funds, it was able to purchase $1,000 of thermometers for South Baldwin Regional Medical Center and donate $4,000 to Ecumenical Ministries’ emergency food fund. The Mad Hatters’ Event was held in May 2021 and raised nearly $15,000. Next month, the club will hand out $13,500 of those funds to local charities. The rest of the funds will be held for emergency situations, such as those faced last year.
As a method of collecting funds for the Mad Hatters’ Event, club members place dime bottles in businesses around the area. Last year almost $800 was collected from these dime bottles.
Beginning in 2019, members can participate in the Dime Bottle Challenge, and the member who collects the most from dime bottles wins a prize. Marilyn Mosely won the Dime Bottle Challenge for last year, collecting over $300.
“Just one dime can make a change in Baldwin County,” said Club President Kelly Barrett. “If you get this bottle filled up with just dimes, it’s $100. That doesn’t count quarters and dollar bills and five-dollar bills that go in, so just one dime can make a change. It’s amazing how much this has brought in.”
Next year’s Mad Hatters’ Event will be themed “Going For The Green,” keeping in line with collecting as much funds as possible to go towards local charities as well as going green to save the planet. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at the Foley Civic Center with doors opening at 10 a.m. and the program beginning at 11:30. Tickets will go on sale in December.
The Foley Woman’s Club meets the first Monday of the month at 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (501 North Pine Street, Foley). Full membership is $20 annually, with full members committing to help with the Mad Hatters’ Event, attend monthly meetings, serve on a refreshment committee once a year and bring a dish to the May Spring Luncheon. An associate membership, begun in 2019, is $20 annually. Associate members share the club’s objectives but may not be able to attend monthly meetings or participate in events due to scheduling conflicts. Associate members can attend monthly meetings and help when able with events, but may not vote, hold office or chair a committee.
For more information, email foleywomansclub@gmail.com or follow the club on Facebook.
