BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Deborah Drinkle, 10, of Cold Springs, watches the infamous Abbott and Costello skit 'Who's on First,' during the Mad Hatter tea party at the Boys & Girls Club gym in Carson City on Saturday. At top, 8-year-old Zena Wilson, back right, tries on Kim Lindley's hat at the tea party. Sitting next to Zena, going clockwise are Lindley, Christi Hester, Barbara Mikuta and Jaime Cole.
Tables at the Boys & Girls Club gym Saturday were packed with ladies and girls in eccentric hats, eating hors d'oeuvres and sipping tea at a "Mad Hatter" tea party fund-raiser for a new church.
"I'm so blessed at the turnout," said event organizer Rebekah Parker. "It's been a huge success."
She set up enough places for 56 but ended up with about 75 in attendance.
Her husband, James, is the pastor of Freedom Vineyard Church, which started a new branch in Carson City just two years ago. Rebekah Parker said the church was born out of a non-denominational movement in the 1970s.
"It's just a born-again Christian, Bible-believin' church," she said.
The parish started out meeting in members' homes. They now gather at Eagle Valley Middle School and are looking for property to purchase.
The $1,100 raised at the Mad Hatter tea will go toward outreach and children's ministry, Parker said.
"We like to bring children out to Mills Park - just to evangelize and to bless them."
The parish hopes to organize an event similar to the Mad Hatter tea next year.
"We're pretty excited about it," said church treasurer Jamie Cole.
"We'd like to make it an annual event."
Her husband, Zane, is the sports director at the Boy & Girls Club. He organized use of the gym.
For a $10 ticket, attendants were fed chocolate-covered strawberries, cream puffs, cucumber canopies and angeled - not deviled - eggs. The event was catered by Divine Dish, a new company.
There were giveaways and raffles as well.
"A lot of local businesses were very supportive," Cole said.
Donations were made by Valley Chic Boutique, Sugar Pine Cove, Carl's Jr., Subway, Bed Bath and Beyond and more.
For those who didn't have fancy hats they were available for rent at a cost of $1.
Church member Charlie Ripley was one of the few men at the party.
"It's not really a guy thing," he said, looking at all the ladies in their hats.
"I'm just here to support them."
The Carson City branch of Freedom Vineyard has about 125 members.
Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.