Middletown >> The Lakeport Women’s Civic Club’s annual Mad Hatter’s Luncheon is so popular that the event hasn’t lost any steam, even after 23 years. The event, which was held at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown on Saturday, was completely full with approximately 200 women in attendance for a lunch, a live auction, a raffle, a hat parade and a fashion show.
In a tribute to the very first luncheon over two decades ago, which featured an Alice in Wonderland theme, each year the “Mad Hatter” picks a different theme. Past years have included Paris, the circus and Hawaii — complete with a hula performance. This year was all about James Bond and Casino Royale. Playing cards decorated the tables, programs were cut in the shape of a spade, life-sized James Bond cutouts stood about the room and the crowd was treated to tidbits of 007 trivia during the fashion show.
The Mad Hatter’s Luncheon is the civic club’s largest fundraiser of the year, bringing in around $6,000. And all of that money stays right in the county, going toward scholarships, adult day care programs and Lake County Veterans. “Every dollar that we earn through our fundraisers is funneled back into the community,” said Audrey Powers, former president and current treasurer of the Lakeport Women’s Civic Club.
With a number of clubs operating throughout the community, one might wonder what distinguishes them all. When it comes to the civic club, the name says it all. Since it’s inception in 1921, the club has been on the forefront of civic-oriented projects around the county. According to Powers, they spearheaded free lunches for students in Lake County and way back when the club organized the plans for a gutter system for Lakeport. “That type of civic-minded activity is what our goal is and we continue it today,” Powers said.
In addition to the scholarships, day programs and veterans, the civic club also gives to community projects and organizations regularly. When Lakeport’s Westside Community Park was under development, the club donated $24,000. They gave $10,000 to Lake County Victim Witness for their new building in Lakeport, another $10,000 to fire victims and $500 most recently to Dept. Jake Steely’s family. “Any way you slice it, where we spend our money is on our community. That’s the difference in the Civic Club,” said Powers. “We put on this big affair and we have a lot of fun and it’s a lot of work, but none of the money funnels to anything but civic-minded projects.”
And in the spirit of community support, the fashion show portion of the afternoon featured clothing by Anna’s Boutique, based out of Kelseyville. The shop’s owner, Anna Jones, sent a dozen outfits down a black and white checked runway on Sunday afternoon. Since the Mad Hatter’s Luncheon is the largest fashion show in Lake County that Jones knows of, the event was the best form of advertising she could have asked for. “Word of mouth is the best advertising,” she said. “I hope that the people that go to these shows travel over my way.”
The Lakeport Women’s Civic Club has 101 members with about 80 percent of those being active. And while the club is serious about the work they do in the community, it’s the laid-back, sociable nature of the group that attracts many of it’s members, including Powers.
In 2001, she attended the luncheon at the Blue Lakes Lodge and felt inspired to join after watching the camaraderie between the event organizers. She said to herself, “I want to be a part of that group, they’re doing something worthwhile and having fun while they do it.”
Powers joined that year, and has been heavily involved in the club since.
The Civic Club meets once a month for a luncheon, where a speaker gives a presentation on a topic of importance to the local community. In addition to the friendly atmosphere of the group, these monthly meetings are also enticing to members. “I joined because I heard it was an opportunity to meet with other women and help our community and the speakers were uplifting and educational,” said Kathy Knickermeyer, this year’s luncheon organizer.
Knickmeyer has been a part of the civic club for less than a year, and though taking on the task of throwing the Mad Hatter’s luncheon was an admittedly daunting one, her fellow members helped to ensure the entire thing ran smoothly. “People took on aspects and followed through which is a real important and wonderful asset. People work together to make this all successful,” she said. “You get to see a great side to people as they step up and help.”
It’s clear that the Lakeport Women’s Civic Club is about friendship almost as much as it is about serving the community. “There is no ‘I’ in the Lakeport Women’s Civic Club. It’s ‘we,’” Powers said. “It’s not a one-woman show, we all do our part, and we have fun doing it.”
