BRADENTON – The Anna Maria Island Garden Club’s fashion show luncheon netted over $40,000, according to club member Pat Olesen.
Attended by approximately 300 people, the annual fundraising luncheon and fashion show was held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Icon Bayside restaurant at the IMG Academy Golf Club in Bradenton.
In celebration of the AMI Garden Club’s 75th anniversary, this year’s theme was “75 Years in Bloom – A Diamond Celebration.”
The fashion show featured 50 volunteer models from the greater Anna Maria Island community and business community who modeled fashions provided by businesses from Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Bradenton and Sarasota. The participating clothing businesses included AMI Outfitters, Camilyn Beth, Driftwood Beach, The Egret’s Nest, Gypsea Tides Beach Boutique, The Island Cabana, Nomad Collection, Pink Pearl, Sea-renity Beach Spa & Bou-Tiki, Scott Spahr, Tweeds and the West Coast Surf Shop.
Neda Noorani (Kern) emceed the fashion show. During her introductory remarks, she mentioned the “passion for fashion and flowers and all things that bloom” the garden club has embraced for 75 years. She also said the fashions being modeled could be purchased after the show.
For the next hour, Noorani announced each model, the model’s outfit or ensemble and the business that provided it. The first models to walk the banquet room floor were garden club members Loretta Estabrooks, Kim Gargiule and Mary Lange, wearing early 1950s clothing provided by the Manatee Performing Arts Center to represent the styles women wore when the garden club was founded in 1951.
Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short was the first non-club member to walk the banquet room circuit, followed by Holmes Beach City Commissioner Terri Schaefer, both of whom wore outfits provided by AMI Outfitters.
While displaying their outfits, the models interacted with the audience members and the fashion show’s grand finale featured the models dancing around the room to Abba’s “Dancing Queen.”
Bob Slicker (still wearing the Tweeds suit he modeled) then conducted a live auction that featured four items donated to the fundraiser.
The first item was a three-hour beach ride for four people with Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. The winning bid was $1,100.
The second item was a private, two-hour, after-hours experience for six guests at Well Within, including treatments, champagne and hors d’oeuvres. The winning bid was $1,600.
The third auction item was a seven-day stay for six people in a two-bedroom beachfront condo at Anna Maria Island Club in Bradenton Beach. The winning bid was $3,100.
The fourth and final auction item symbolized the garden club’s diamond anniversary: a three-carat, oval, lab-grown diamond necklace, with a white gold chain and setting. As Slicker began soliciting bids, garden club member Janice Gale walked around the room showing the encased necklace to potential bidders. The winning bid was $2,500.
Julia Fay won the 50-50 raffle and claimed the $1,125 prize that represented half the money raised by that raffle.
The fundraising and luncheon activities included pop-up shopping booths, dozens of donated raffle prizes and raffle baskets and a silent auction. Before the fashion show began, attendees enjoyed lunch that included sandwiches, salad, charcuterie-style meats and cheeses, finger desserts and more.
Later that week, Garden Club President Renitia Bertoluzzi said, “The Anna Maria Island Garden Club sincerely thanks our community for the tremendous support of our February fashion show fundraiser. Your generous sponsorships, donations and attendance made the event both joyful and successful, with the proceeds directly supporting Island beautification and restoration projects. A special thank you to our fashion providers and models whose energy and creativity made the day truly special. Together, we are investing in the beauty and future of Anna Maria Island.”
Garden club member and fashion show coordinator Pat Olesen said, “I want to thank the community for such a tremendous response on sponsorships, donations and attendance, along with the fashion providers and models. They made this event special, fun and successful.”
