GFWC Women's Club Holds Book & Author Luncheon Fundraiser

Dear Editor,

The GFWC-Women's Club of South County (WCSC) recently hosted their 24th Book & Author Luncheon Fundraiser on September 18,2024 at the Dunes Club in Narragansett, RI. Our master of ceremonies for the second year in a row was Carly Callahan, Executive Director of the United Theatre in Westerly, RI. She enthusiastically introduced our authors and gave an eloquent overview of their backgrounds preceding each author's presentation. We thank her for supporting our club again this year. A roomful of 300 guests spent their afternoon with three wonderful authors, who discussed their latest books, shared their inspiration, told anecdotes, and answered questions from the audience. The featured authors this year were: Vanessa Lillie, author of the compelling mystery, Blood Sisters; Julie Gerstenblatt, author of Daughters of Nantucket, an historical fiction story set against Nantucket's Great Fire of 1846; and Dawn Tripp, author of Jackie, a novel about Jackie Kennedy Onassis. These authors captivated the audience and made for a very enjoyable afternoon.

This event was a huge success due to the community sponsors that support it. We can't thank these sponsors enough. Brightview Commons for their many years of support, DiStefano Brothers, Saint Elizabeth's Home Care, and The Seasons Assisted Living are just some of the generous sponsors for our event. A special thank you to the Ocean House for their donation of an overnight stay, Ocean State Job Lot for their donated kayak, and to Lakeside Trading for their donation of two Adirondack chairs and side table.

There were also over 60 raffle baskets that were donated by members with contributions from area businesses from all over South County and beyond! Chairs of the event, Linda Butera Noble and Debra Zepp and their committee worked for a year to create an event that would be sure to raise the funds we use for so many of our charitable endeavors. We are indebted to all those people who made this fundraiser a success.

The Book & Author Luncheon is an annual event and is the main source of funding for GWFC. It enables the club to provide funds for grants, called Grow Hope Grants, support local nonprofits to assist with their community outreach and to give scholarships to women to advance their education. GFWC-WCSC is part of an international organization that works year-round to meet their mission to provide community support. Some of the volunteer activities of our club include making monthly dinners at Peace Date Congregational Church for their Dinner Table project, providing Soup for the Docks in Galilee twice weekly and cleaning up the roadway in front of the Narragansett Beach through the RIDOT Adopt-a-Roadway program. Our members are busy all year long doing great work in South County!

Please accept our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the 24th Book & Luncheon.

Sincerely,

Nancy DeNuccio

President, GFWC-WCSC

GFWC-WCSC

PO Box 5684

Wakefield, RI 02880

Email: admin@GFWCRISouthCounty.com