On the Town: Athletic club raises its teacups to the holidays at social
Members of the Women’s Athletic Club of Glendale spent a joyous afternoon together during the group’s annual Christmas Tea.
Kathleen Aberman, club president, welcomed members and guests to the clubhouse on Dec. 20, and also took a turn pouring tea and coffee at the refreshment table laden with trays of petite sandwiches — many featuring a delicious crispy crab-cake filling.
Martha Moren, tea chair, whipped up scrumptious raspberry mousse cups for dessert.
Helping on the committee were Charle Bennison, co-president, as well as Elke Allwelt Miyahara, Kathy Fogel, Beverly Van Cleave, Susan Edwards and Kathi Wilson.
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Over the years, the club has offered women sports activities through its various departments. Today, the remaining departments are hiking and quilters. The hikers take part in more than 25 hikes throughout the year. Not only do they get a great workout, but they see nature’s beauty along the trails in Griffith Park and other local wilderness areas.
The quilters meet to sew on Mondays at the clubhouse and introduce other members to the craft during summer workshops. Thirty of the club’s quilters are also with the Glendale Quilt Guild.
Colleen Shier is president of the quilt guild and is also a member of the quilters department, where she assists chair Tina Curran on the Loving Hands project.
“It’s the biggest thing we do,” Shier said. “The athletic club’s building gives us a great place to spread out and sew. It’s sort of like a sewing bee only with sewing machines.”
This year, the quilters department created 50 quilts that were donated to the Glendale YWCA’s domestic violence shelter. Devon Malick, shelter program supervisor, attended the tea and received the donation.
The quilts were displayed on the stage in a 5-foot-tall red sack, strikingly similar to the one carried by the jolly old elf himself. It was made by member Cindy Abrams, originally used as a prop on a TV show.
The “quilting bee” is open to everyone from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday at the clubhouse, 600 S. Verdugo Road.
In January, the quilters department is going to team up with the Glendale Quilt Guild for a 12-hour quilt-a-thon at the clubhouse. Members will be making 25 quilts for the Seven Stars Foundation, which provides a week-long camp experience for children of military members including the fallen, wounded, active, deployed and reservists.
The foundation also provides military members with financial, emotional and educational assistance.
The Glendale Quilt Guild is also planning to reinstate its quilt show next year after taking a hiatus this year. The two-day event will be held on Sept. 22 and 23 at the Pasadena Convention Center.
It was great to see longtime members attending the Christmas Tea. Elisabeth Allwelt, Johanna Hahnlein and Evy Erdos — all of whom are in their 90s — still participate as much as they can.
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JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.