This past Thursday June 6, St. Louisians put on their most elaborate, decorative hats for Forest Park Forever’s 23rd annual Hat Luncheon. Those who attended helped support St. Louis’ most beloved Forest Park by raising money in a fun way all to help keep the park beautiful and open for recreation. This year's fundraiser was co-chaired by Nicole Adewale and Mary Atkin. Jasmine Huda of KMOV served as the mistress of ceremonies.
Not only were the 1,100 partygoers treated to a delicious lunch, but they admired each other's hats as they secretly hoped their hat would be noticed by the judges as the best in attendance. The hat award categories included romantic, whimsical, vintage, couture, homemade, fascinator, best male hat, best hat at each table, and best theme for an entire table. The St. Louis Magazine girls sported derby hats with a large DIY flower made of St. Louis Magazine and St. Louis At Home covers. Nine "secret" judges surveyed the crowd and the winners in each category were announced after lunch.
The 2013 secret judges of the Wells Fargo Advisors hat contest included:
Ellen Soule – Ellen Soule Public Relations
Vickie Dankenbring – Show Me Style
Shannon Meyer – Missouri History Museum
Alan Brainerd – Alan E. Brainerd Interiors, Inc.
Christia DeShields – Fashion Stylist and Blogger
Ann Dillon – Ann’s Hat Boutique
Dottie Englis – Webster University
Christy Marshall – St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis At Home, and St. Louis Family
Roseann Weiss – St. Louis Regional Arts Commission
The winners of the hat competition were:
Best Romantic Hats – Dee Zweig, Rosalind Johnson, Sue McCollum
Best Vintage Hats – Dorothy Raines, Mueriel Carp, Pat Kurre
Best Whimsical Hats – Mattie Moore, Kristin Peterson, Alana Sherman
Best Couture Hats – Dianne Isbell, Barbara Archer, Eva Fraiser
Best Homemade Hats – Zoey Womack, Dianne Garrison, Marilyn Weaver
Best Fascinator – Sally Roth, Elizabeth Manner, Lee Haynes
Best Male Hat – Kyle Cheeseborough
Best Themed Table – BJC Healthcare
The luncheon consisted of a warm welcome to all the attendees and several acknowledgments. Twenty-three years ago, the luncheon was created to pay tribute to the spirit of Hiram W. Leffingwell, whose vision resulted in the creation of Forest Park in 1876. A special honor was presented to the William T. Kemper Foundation, who supports Forest Park in hopes that it remains the heart of the St. Louis community and continues to provide leisure for this community. The whole afternoon concluded with a raffle drawing and Tiffany and Co. presented the mystery blue bag experience, providing 150 signature blue bags, each sold for $50, and 124 contained beautiful Tiffany crystal bowls and one lucky winner won a sterling silver and diamond necklace. The Mystery Blue Bag Event raised an additional $7,500 for Forest Park Forever.
Overall, this marvelous Hat Luncheon raised more than $275,000 in sponsorships for St. Louis’ treasured Forest Park. This money will help make possible ongoing maintenance and educational programs for the Park.
View the party pics to see all of the amazing hats!
