Every year I look forward to the Festival of Tables sponsored by the Daughters of Penelope at the Greek Orthodox Church. This year - its ninth annual fundraiser for the Battered Women's Shelter and SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) - I was determined to fit every table decorator into this column.
All I can say is, I tried.
Kathryn Spanos, the chapter president and festival chairwoman, said that this year's festival featured 30 tables, seven more than last year, and drew 260 people. "It's wonderful to see the community come out to support this event," she said. "It's about people helping people.
" Last year, the fundraiser raised $7,000, she said.
Table No. 1, "Santa on a Beach Holiday," was designed by Georgia Wood and featured her collection of seashells and seven Santa figurines - one riding in a pink flamingo sleigh.
"I'm proud to be a part of raising money for this worthy cause," Wood said. "My heart goes out to the children."
Yes, the tables and fall fashions from Nitsa's Apparel were fabulous, but raising money for less fortunate women and children remained the focus of the night.
"It's always an exciting thing when a group like this continues to want to do an event over and over rather than switching to another charity," said Nancy Robinson, of the Welcome Baby Program for SCAN.
And that's what I heard all night. Jane Ballus, a member of the Daughters of Penelope for the past four years, said she enjoyed decorating her table with white roses and spider mums, but what she enjoyed most was the companionship and generosity of the group's outreach to such a good cause.
Tina Fox echoed that. "This is fun, and at the same time, we can see someone helped," she said. Fox designed a table with Debbie Little, which looked forward to Easter with a bunny centerpiece, colored eggs and Easter bonnets tied to the backs of the chairs.
They were given to guests as favors.
"Mardi Gras" was the theme of the table designed by Ann Meletis Scott, whose mother, Barbara Meletis, helped reactivate the local chapter in 1997. Scott designed a beautiful table but spent most of her time in the kitchen, helping to organize the young volunteers.
Christmas and winter themes were the most popular. Dana Brown's first table design, "Winter Wonderland," was perfect for the cold night with its white roses, candles and crystal ornaments reflecting in the centerpiece mirror. "I'll definitely do it again," she said.
Mary Dampier gathered four "aristocratic carolers" around an iron lamppost; Martha Dentiste used her collection of Nutcrackers as a centerpiece; and Steffie Joiner decorated two tables. Her husband, Pat Joiner, sat at a table decorated with a giant snowman, vying for attention with Joe Camel at the next table.
Several tables featured a Valentine's Day theme.
Leigh Cortesis and Effie Davis tethered pink helium balloons over a table decorated with red roses and white lights shining through the net tablecloth. Front row and center again this year was a show-stopping table decorated by Louisa Pantazis. Soaring high above the table, a puffy cupid (which she said represented her husband) shot an arrow into her red satin heart.
And there were variations on the Valentine's theme. Cheryl Ebert's career as a nurse came through loud and clear with her "Go Red: Love Your Heart" table, while Jenny Hill's "Candy Land" was, in fact, good enough to eat.
There were some spectacular one-of-a-kind tables.
Lisa Tennyson decorated two tables with antique hats, one for men and one for their ladies. Sally Clark went wild this year with a jungle theme, complete with Christian Dior cheetah plates and parlor palm centerpiece. Mary Walker Fry honored Angel Moore's birthday with a towering centerpiece of gifts, party favors and poppers; and Dawson Bartholomew, Rene Clark and Carla Hoots honored Wake Forest University with a football theme.
Deborah Nance, a first-time participant from Greensboro, used a centerpiece of roses to complement the Rose Medallion china at her table, while nearby, Janet Vincent scattered red, green, orange and yellow peppers across her tabletop. She said that last year was her first year participating and that she loved "viewing everybody's creativity."
There was no judging that creativity Saturday night.
Everybody was a winner, but I did hear a lot of talk about the table decorated by Angela Levine and Paige Ballus. "Morocco Evening," set up in one of the far corners of the Hellenic Center, featured Middle Eastern music wafting from a tent anchored with palm trees. Guests were seated on Turkish floor cushions at a low table covered with an Indian cloth and lit with candles.
I was delighted to be invited to join them - until it was time to get up from my cushion.
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