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Mad-Hatters Benefit inspires creativity and charity
Dee Manolis (from left) and Madeline Bell of Oak Brook and Mary Tsoulos of Downers Grove. | Natasha Wasinski~For Sun-Times Media
Anything went at the Mad-Hatters Benefit, be it a cowboy hat or feathered headpiece, a baseball cap or floppy summer sun blocker.
Nearly 150 guests covered their crowns on May 19 at a Park Ridge Country Club luncheon hosted by the Philoptochos Ladies’ Society of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines.
Expression of oneself resonated with guest speaker Stephanie Vlahakis, president of the National Hellenic Museum, who encouraged fellow Greeks to preserve their heritage as well as discover their own dreams.
Family customs and traditions need be carried on, Vlahakis said, “but it’s just as important to follow your own heart.”
A portion of the nearly $6,300 proceeds from the luncheon benefited the Heifer International Project, which operates to eradicate hunger and poverty through livestock donations.
Members of Philoptochos, which means “friend of the poor” in Greek, work to assist the disadvantaged by raising money to benefit the organization’s various charitable endeavors.
“Yes, Philoptochos is mad about doing philanthropy and work for poor,” said event chairman Sophie Toulon of Park Ridge. “We are crazy if we aren’t doing it.”
For more information, call (847) 827-5510. ~.
