Continued Generosity from the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs
For the 3rd year, I made my plans to attend the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs Fashions with Flowers event. It is such a classic outing, complete with flower arranging demonstrations, fashion show, silent auction and a great luncheon with great women. It’s usually scheduled on a Friday in early February, and 2014 was no exception – February 14th – Valentine’s Day. Accordingly, the event theme was “Everything Sweet.” Not sure if
you remember, but Richmond had quite a snowfall that week. The Council decided to postpone the event until April 11th, same time and place – Epiphany Lutheran Church on Horsepen Road. One of the major reasons why I like to attend this event is because all the funds raised from it are given to Nature Camp. The Council has been doing this for 16 years now, and every year they exceed the generosity of the previous year. The organizers even let me get up and say a few words about Nature Camp and to express our gratitude. Let me know if you want to go next year – we’ll get a table together!
The Council meets in May every year to conduct their business, have a luncheon and biannually, install new officers. I was privileged to be invited to attend the 82nd Annual Luncheon on May 9th, at the Commonwealth Club in Richmond. At the luncheon meeting, the Council donated gifts to Meals on Wheels, the Maymont Foundation and then called me up to present a check for $6300 made to the order of Nature Camp.
This amount includes all the proceeds from the Fashions with Flowers event plus monies from Council lifetime memberships. As usual, it exceeded the amount given to us last year by quite a bit. In my words of thanks to the members assembled, I told them of the half scholarship we have established in the name of the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs. Their donations have ensured we will be able to award this scholarship every year from here on out. As I have said in previous descriptions of this strongly committed organization of women: “Never, ever, argue with the ladies who lunch – they get things done!!”
– Amy Gonzalez, NCI President
