"Go Red" Luncheon

Yesterday Mother and I attended an American Heart Association "Go Red for Women" luncheon, sponsored locally by one of the banks and other businesses. This is the third year for the event, and I've attended all three now. This one was held at a local college, where the room's tables were beautifully decorated with red heart-shaped Mylar balloons floating from large glass vase centerpieces filled with sparkling stuff (for a better word) and cute little arctic animals, like polar bears, penguins, and baby seals, set on white tableclothes. Napkins at each place setting were folded in the shapes of hearts. Name cards were tucked in napkin folds.

Leafless, small white trees, adorned with clear miniature lights and heart decorations stood around the walls. An arch, covered in greenery and intertwined with clear and red miniature lights served as the focal point. Inside the arch, a dress form modeled a white, full-length, full-skirted, strapless gown. And two dress forms on each side of the arch featured full-length red gowns.

The event included a goodie bag, a silent auction, chances on a diamond bracelet valued at $800, lunch, a visit and talk by our state's first lady, a fashion show, a testimonial by a heart attack survivor, a promotional talk by a fitness instructor, and a roomful of ladies dressed in red.

The light lunch included deli sliced turkey on a croissant, a small dollop of potato salad, a generous serving of fresh fruits, and cheesecake or brownies for dessert, with coffee or iced tea.

I bought a chance on the bracelet, but didn't win, and I didn't see anything among the silent auction items that I wanted, so I came home empty-handed, but full-hearted in memories of a nice couple of hours spent in the company of my Mother and other women of our acquaintance.