Hats Off to South Brandon Rotary Club Fundraiser

All of her hard work paid off.

Denise Graf spent two weeks creating a teapot hat out of playing cards to be worn by her daughter, Bevis Elementary School student Cassandra Graf, in the hat parade at the fifth annual Mad Hatter Tea.

The cleverly decorated hat not only garnered a lot of attention but proved to be the winner of the hat parade, attracting $182 in donations.

Hats of all shapes and sizes were in evidence at the Brandon South Rotary Club's signature event Sunday, Feb. 19 at Cross Creek Ranch in Dover.

During the parade of hats, hat wearers encouraged attendees to vote for their hats with dollar bills.

Kathleen Mathis-Spight modeled an artist's hat created for the Kentucky Derby, while Koryn Kleist and Amy Wiesenhart showed off a top hat they'd decorated with rhinestones. Meanwhile, Arlene Wilson of the Riverview Garden Club wore a hat appropriately decorated with flowers.

The hat parade netted $662 in donations for the club's charities, which include the Emergency Care Help Organization, the Brandon Outreach Clinic, the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center, the American Cancer Society, Bell Shoals Children Services' summer camp, the Ronald McDonald House, Hands of Hope and Rotary's Camp Florida.

In addition to the hat parade, the event included a live auction featuring such items as a year's worth of Chick-fil-A and a week at a North Carolina cabin, and netting the charities another $2,300.

And a 50/50 drawing and raffle raised another $530.

Tea for the tea party was provided by the Tea Cup Room in Brandon while food was donated by Jaymer-Que Southern BBQ, Ms. Cyndi's Cafe, The Catering Company, Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village, The Original Leena's Chocolates, Wal-Mart Market, Tres Amigos, Zaxby's, Firehouse Subs and Genghis Grill.

Music was provided by piano teacher Amanda Cooley and her students.

The South Brandon Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at noon at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club, 2721 S. Miller Rd., Valrico.