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Style Show raises money for several causes

From left to right, Marty Kitchen, Marilyn Ashcraft and Phyllis Walker eye the purses up for auction at the Pioneer Ladies Civitan Style Show Tuesday in Harmar. (Photo by Janelle Patterson)

MARIETTA – Boisterous laughter and many rounds of applause filled the Knights of Columbus Hall in Harmar Tuesday at an event with an important goal in mind.

“Much of what we raise goes to a mental health research center,” explained Pioneer Ladies Civitan Club President Diane Fox. “It’s for both children with mental disorders and for research in Alzheimer’s and other adult mental disorders. Then locally we also do two dances a year for WASCO, Inc.”

The club hosted a style show and purse auction Tuesday complete with a salad supper featuring classics like potato salad and sweet treats like a chocolate trifle.

“And I made 25 pounds of chicken salad,” said former board member Dorothy Peppel, as many women approached her to give their compliments. “That’s always a favorite dish here.”

Fox said she joined the club because of the friendship and the volunteer nature of the organization.

Women from the Washington County Treasurer’s and Auditor’s office gather over donated items at the Pioneer Ladies Civitan Style Show Tuesday to eye door prizes before dinner. (Photo by Janelle Patterson)

“We have helped to serve luncheons at different events and always help with Halloween in the Park, and we donate both money and shirts for the Special Olympics,” she explained. “It’s just a great bunch of ladies to be a part of and I would encourage any woman with interest in helping the community to get involved.”

She said the club currently has 32 members, half of whom are retired.

But many of the 180 attendees Tuesday were not members, simply frequent flyers of the event and supporters of the ladies’ mission.

“We meet the treasurer’s office and auditor’s office ladies here every year for a night out,” said Gale Hall, of Barlow. “My daughter and I come because it’s fun and for a good cause.”

Hall had her eye on one bag in particular that was up for auction, but said she had to be good Tuesday night.

“I’ve got to stick to my limit,” she said.

But even with a limit, friends Marilyn Ashcraft, of Marietta, Phyllis Walker, of Belpre, and Marty Kitchen, of Marietta, said they get caught up in the excitement of the auction.

“Every year I say I’m not going to buy anything and then last year I left with two purses!” Kitchen exclaimed. “I just get into the bidding frenzy.”

“There isn’t really any strategy, you just go with the flow,” added Walker.

Walker and Ashcraft specifically had their eyes on one red purse, a Prada handbag that was long enough to fit a bottle of wine inside.

Ashcraft added that regardless of if she wants one or not, she tries to help the club raise money through the auction.

“If you really want something you keep bidding, but lower and slower,” she explained. “But if you just want to help raise money you bid high once or twice.”

Donations included purses from local businesses and residents as well as door prizes.

“Seeing all of these people get together that I haven’t seen in a long time is my favorite,” said Fon Coffman, 90, of Reno.

Coffman was the charter president of the club in 1979.

“I’m so glad there are so many people willing to help the club do all the good things we do in the area,” she added. “We started helping those that are handicapped a long time ago when they seemed to be forgotten.”

Coffman has also served as the international director for Ladies Civitan and was the first woman governor of the Ohio District.

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