Women's Club to Give Money to Two Local Charities

Every year, the Oakton Women's Club hosts one event to raise money: . And every year, the group meets afterward to decide on where to donate the profits.

On May 18, the women gathered at Nancy Rice's home in Vienna to enjoy lunch and decide on how to allocate the nearly $1,700 in profits raised at April's fashion show.

The decision: $300 to Shepherd's Center of Oakton-Vienna and $500 to the Virginia Autism Project.

The group is setting aside about $1,000 to put toward helping decorate the anticipated roundabouts to be constructed on Hunter Mill Road over the next couple years.

The group also used the momentum from the fashion show to gain new members, as some existing members brought interested guests, some of whom had attended the lavish show last month. And it worked. At least three of the women declared they'd join.

Lynn Miller, who works with the Virginia Autism Project, attended the meeting as a prospective Oakton Women's Club member and was delighted the group decided to back her cause.

"We'll probably put it toward the autism summit we're holding in the fall," Miller said. "At the event, we'll talk about legislative issues, have workshops with therapists or other experts."

The Oakton Women's Club is deliberate in choosing local causes for their money, said Linda Byrne, president of the club.

"The whole club is about taking care of our local community," Byrne said.