Luncheon helps lift club donations

Tickets are on sale now for the Aiken Woman's Club's annual Sample & Share Luncheon.

The luncheon is scheduled for noon Saturday, March 6, at St. John's United Methodist Church on Newberry Street. The event will feature drawings for three themed gift baskets and for an Honora pearl bracelet from Floyd & Green, a fashion show and tastes of each dish featured in the annual Aiken Woman's Club cookbook. A copy of the cookbook is included with the ticket price, according to club member Judy Cross.

"We'll have 35 different dishes, including appetizers, main dishes, salads, breads and desserts, and there will be hot and cold foods," Cross said. "The recipes are all from club members, and club members will be doing the cooking."

Some highlights of the cookbook - and the luncheon table - include Alice Ross' chocolate eclair pudding recipe and Janet Sittel's recipe for pecan pie mini muffins, according to club member Eula Leaber.

Aiken Woman's Club members will also serve as models for the fashion show. Clothing will be from Dillard's in Aiken Mall, according to Cross. Mount Beulah Baptist Church of Williston's youth group will provide table service at the luncheon and pianist Andrea Lutz will perform during the meal.

The theme of the luncheon is "Birthday Party" in honor of both Aiken's 175th anniversary and the Aiken Woman's Club's 35th anniversary. The "It's a Party" gift basket will also have a birthday theme; the other two baskets' themes are "Pamper Yourself" and "Aiken."

Proceeds from the luncheon go toward the club's donations to local charities, such as Helping Hands, the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons, the Tri-Development Center, Aiken's Character First initiative, the Special Olympics, a USC Aiken scholarship, the Aiken County Public Library and more. Tickets to the luncheon are $25, and tables for eight are available.

For more information or for tickets, call Jean Covington at 641-1390.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.