Auction, baskets highlight women's day
Simple pleasures drive the success of the Palatine Women's Club annual charity luncheon and auction, namely an elegant bake sale, hundreds of themed baskets and a live auction led by Schaumburg firefighter John Schneidwind.
It's a combination that works and literally sends most guests home with something.
The group's latest luncheon -- their 17th annual -- kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 10 at the Cotillion Banquets, 360 Creekside Ave. in Palatine. Tickets are $32.
"It's a blast," says club member Marilyn Jamal of Palatine. "We pack a lot of entertainment into one day, and it goes by so quickly."
They expect more than 250 women to attend, who will have their pick of bidding on hundreds of baked goods packaged in crystal or on a ceramic platter all ready for gift-giving; as well as from literally hundreds of the themed baskets.
"We have every theme represented you can think of, from Italian baskets, to sportsman's baskets, to children's baskets," says Caroline Lashin of Palatine, club president. "You name it, and we've got a basket for it."
Perusing of the baskets goes on until lunch, before women sit back to enjoy the oral auction, when some 80 items are up for bid. They range from designer furniture pieces procured from the Merchandise Mart, to weekend packages, to a day with the chef of either Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights or Weber Grill in Schaumburg.
On their invitation, club members describe the event as a "wonderful day surrounded by old and new friends."
Some of those good feelings, they add, are heightened by raising money for Palatine area organizations, that benefit the young and old.
Last year, the 50 club members contributed $25,000 to local charities, that all serve Palatine area residents. Their largest amount went to One Step At A Time, a free summer camp for children with cancer.
Other beneficiaries include: Harper College scholarships, Harper College, the Palatine Food Pantry, Kirk School, Northwest Special Olympics, the Palatine Needy Family Fund, Palatine Opportunity Center, WINGS, Home of the Sparrow, the Palatine Township Senior Citizens Council, and Clearbrook in Arlington Heights.
For information on the club and its largest fundraiser, visit www.palatine-womens-club.org.