Bradford Woods Women's Club sponsors 'Afternoon Tea'

The nonprofit Bradford Woods Women’s Club is hosting “An Afternoon Tea” on April 15 at 1 p.m. at the Bradford Woods Community Church on Wexford Run Road.

Tickets cost $32 and go on sale on March 1 at the Berry Vine Gift Shop at 185 Bradford Road. Space is limited.

This fundraiser will replace a plant sale that the Women’s Club has traditionally held, said Vicki Wiegand, a member of the club. The plant sale wasn’t as successful as it used to be, so club members decided to try something new and different, Wiegand said.

She suspects the tea will be popular and that tickets will sell fast.

“It’s a great idea. It will be fun, as the committee came up with a really good idea. The fundraiser makes money for places that we support,” she said.

Bradford Woods Women’s Club raises money for several charities in the area including HEARTH, which provides housing, child care and support for families; Meals on Wheels America; Crisis Center North; the Bradford Woods Volunteer Fire Company; and North Hills Community Outreach, among others. This event is a fundraiser to help with these charities.

It will be like a formal English tea, complete with the traditional “sweets and savories,” said Wiegand, adding people can come dressed as they like.

The tea will also feature a local author Eileen Enwright Hodgetts, who resides in Harmony, Pa. Enwright is an best-selling author and has written several books about the Titanic, including “The Girl on the Carpathia” and the “The Girl in the Lifeboat.”

Wiegand said the author will discuss these books and the sinking of the Titanic.

Tickets may be purchased with a check, payable to the Bradford Woods Women’s Club, or with cash. Tables seating four or eight can be reserved when the tickets are purchased.

The Bradford Woods Women’s club is 109 years old, Wiegand said, and it’s always looking for new members. Members meet the second Tuesday every month at 9:30 a.m. at the Bradford Woods Community Church. Each meeting features refreshments, a speaker and business matters.

And it’s fun, as Wiegand said “getting together does us all good.”

The group maintains two borough gardens on Forest Road, Wiegand said.

June McCarney, of Wexford, has been a member of the women’s club for decades.

“I’ve found the club to be a great place to visit with friends, old and new, at the monthly meetings and to learn new things. Our most recent meeting featured a speaker about antique glass. It is also wonderful to know that the proceeds of our fundraising efforts help to support local charities,” she said.