11th ANNUAL HIGH TEA - “AFTERGLOW”

We offer praise and thanksgiving to God our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in blessing us with a beautiful space in which to hold the High Tea once again, raising $1,970 to benefit St. Margaret’s, and to make outreach donations to both Ryhan’s Center of Hope and Autism Speaks.

In looking back over the planning, the weeks of preparation, and then the frenzy of the final preceding days and hours, there is no doubt that it was all well worth it as evidenced by the success of the High Tea. If you can access St. Margaret’s Facebook, check out the awesome pictures! Just take a glance at the happy faces of everyone, with so many ladies this year looking amazing in their hats – and, OH … our rector! Speaking of hats, the “hat-wearer’s drawing” was overlooked, for which we apologize. However, making a list supported by good memories and confirmed by pictures of those who wore hats enabled us to pick a name “from a hat” - and the winner is: ABIGAIL T. – Congratulations! You won a ticket to next year’s High Tea. And I’m sure everyone remembers Abigail -- one of our lovely young helpers for the raffle drawings.

Everyone agrees it was a beautiful afternoon spent in each other’s company, enjoying tea while dining on delicious and lovingly prepared food, doing some shopping, and then waiting patiently to hear if their number would be called as a raffle winner.

Our food preparers outdid themselves and no one was wanting for anything. The teamwork making this event so successful was amazing, with heartfelt thanks … to Kim, June and Ayla Irvine, Jane Ames, Pat Hannau, 

Judy Stone and Abigail, Debbie McGee, Lois Bisca, Betty Palmer, Florence Brady, Barbara H., Janet Smitelli, Janet Lucas, Kathleen Clasen, Linda Armbruster and DeeDee Finlayson … for the many ways they all helped. We are also grateful to the talented Susan Isherwood and Linda Armbruster for their lovely handcrafted jewelry boutique, and to the Crafty Ladies. 

Pattye A. Pece of World Village Fair Trade Mobile, a program of the non-profit organization Sobornost For The World Foundation, Inc., was also invited to set up shop at the High Tea this year. This organization works to alleviate poverty for children through international orphan programs for food and education. Fair Trade pays fairly, recycles, supports the worker, and uses no harmful chemicals. Having this organization with us was another form of outreach by helping to introduce people to non- commercial retail shopping and thus helping this important program.

Until the next High Tea, wishing everyone a year ahead full of God’s wonderful blessings!

~ Loretta Sawicki and Barbara Festa, Co-chairpersons