Mad Hatter Tea Captures the Imagination of Young and Young of Heart
There are certain events that come together and are simply magical – here’s our recipe from over the weekend: Take one wonderful and worthy cause (Early Childhood Alliance building better futures for young children), add one dedicated “picky” committee, a dozen or so willing volunteers, eight generous sponsors, 109 enthusiastic guests, and a co-hostess/co-sponsor extraordinaire (Cheryl Brockmann and A Party Apart). Shake, stir and present — what do you get? A world class, over-the-top, unforgettable Mad Hatter Tea party!
“It was such a beautiful Tea Party and truly felt like we were all transported to another “other worldly” place.” — guest comment
83 adults and 26 children rode the elevator “up the rabbit hole” to the 3rd floor of A Party Apart in downtown Fort Wayne and entered into a Mat Hatter “wonderland” environment. Early Childhood Alliance Executive Director Madeleine Baker and co-hostess Donna Emley greeted guests with champagne, pink lemonade and sparkling soda with “drink me!” tags and encouraged browsing in the silent auction area. Trinity English Lutheran Church youth dramatists, dressed as characters from “Alice in Wonderland,” mingled and signed autographs.“I don’t know how your committee could have made it any more enjoyable for everyone…adults and the children. I know the two young girls at our table had a ball, and it was fun watching them too. The food was great…silent auction had lots of wonderful things to bid on…and fun to see everyone dressed up with hats and gloves.” — guest comment
After everyone was seated, guests dined on first course offerings of Tweedledee and Tweedledum Carrot Cream Cheese & Cucumber Chive Squares, Caterpillar Chicken Salad on leaves of endive and Cherry Tomato filled with “Eat Me” Bacon Mushroom Spread. Next came Pink Flamingo Soup with a yogurt garnish, Pistachio Grape Cheese Truffles, and a Queen of Hearts selection of breads and scones. The grand finale had everyone grinning with the Cheshire Cat Apple-Peanut Butter-Marshmellow Smiles for children and a trio of sweets for the adults. Adult guests received a keepsake recipe booklet as a take-home gift.
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who sponsored, volunteered and attended this event to benefit Early Childhood Alliance. Read the guest blog post by Donna Emley on A Party Apart’s blog. Be sure to click on the links below and enjoy the collections of photos showcasing the event, with special thanks to SocialFortWayne.org and Filigree Fotography for allowing us to link to the photo albums.