Junior League party celebrates season

The sustainers of the Junior League of Las Vegas held their annual Holiday Coffee on Dec. 13 at the lovely Anthem Country Club home of Sherry and Bruce Layne.

The event is an opportunity to personally thank league members and friends for adopting a Bear (child) this holiday season.

The Bear Committee visits at-risk elementary schools to take measurements of the children and talk about their wish lists for Santa.

Sustainers of the Junior League then shop and purchase 10 gifts for each child: one shirt, one pair of pants, one sweatshirt or jacket, one pair of pajamas, a package of underwear, a package of socks, a pair of shoes, and two toys and a book.

This was the 28th year of the Adopt-A-Bear Project.

There are three teams of 13 sustainer members that make up the Bear Committee. The committee delivers the filled Santa bags to the schools to be given to the parents before Christmas break.

Receiving the active members and their guests at the holiday-decorated home’s entrance were: Sustainer President Sally Rycroft, Actives’ President Ann Richard-Farinha, Bear co-chairwomen Sherry Beatty and Susan Kubat, holiday coffee chairwoman Melinda McGeorge-Johnson and hostess Sherry Layne.

Presiding at the coffee table were past presidents of Junior League: Diana Wilson, Deni Conrad, Michel Eckman, Tammy Peterson, Laura Schmitt and Louise Helton. Punch was served by Jeanette Clark, Nancy Gasho-Fromm, Britta Carlson-Sessums and Carole Terry.

Background music was holiday selections played by flutists Dafne Guevara and Rodrigo Corral from UNLV.

Culinary Arts of the Northwest Career &Technical Academy’s chefs Brenda Hitchins and Aaron Klafter-Phillips and their staff were present to serve an array of delectable sweets such as mini red velvet cupcakes, French macaroons, chocolate mousse, creme brulee, fruit and pecan tarts, cream puffs, cake pops and fresh fruit.

Canapes of bacon-wrapped dates, fig and goat cheese crostini, petit cucumber and egg salad sandwiches, stuffed mushrooms and artichoke hearts with lemon basil aoli were served from the kitchen’s buffet. Made-to-order cooking stations that offered omelets, banana Fosters and crepes were set up outdoors near the pool.

Enjoying the view of the city from around the outdoor pool were Sandy Litton, Dedee Nave, Tina Hamilton, Carol Maxey, Shelli Lowe, Barbara Barron, Corinne Sidney, Shari Compton, Betsy Rhodes, Linda Givens, Lois Zellers, Sally McKinney, Nancy Heberlee, Jennifer Brinton and Bobbie Gang.

Also seen among the 200 members and guests enjoying a light repast during this busy season were DeDe Slakey, Bonnie Bryan, Mary Gwen Dombrowski, Mitzie Heigel McAlister, Teri Brown, Shirley Shupe, Debbie Levy, Mary Curren, Beverly Dix, Jane Fielden, Donna Levy, Patricia Luetkehans, Lou Gamage, Bonnie Crosby, LuAnn Hutch, Kara Huffey, Nancy Bentley, Lore Gochnour and Jaymie Morris.