By KRISTEN KELLEHER/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – In 1950, the newly formed Colony Club of Ocean City advocated for fluoride in the city’s drinking water and fundraised for student scholarships.
Seventy years later, the club’s members continue to advocate for and support education and charities in the community.
A group of 50 women formed the club, and, today, the club has continued several activities and initiatives it started in its early years, including advocating for legislative and social changes, supporting education, and holding a fundraising fashion show.
In its first year, Grace Kelly’s sisters were models in the fashion show, according to a scrapbook chronicling the club’s first year.
On Saturday, March 28, the club will celebrate its 70th anniversary and raise money for scholarships, at its annual fashion show luncheon.
This year’s fashion show is held at Greate Bay Country Club in Somers Point at 11:30 a.m.
The event includes fashions by Ta-Dah, raffles of items from gym memberships to homemade jewelry, and a 50-50, in addition to lunch.
The Colony Club is a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs (NJSFWC), which is part of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
Diane Root, of the Colony Club and an organizer of the fashion show, said they give $1,500 scholarships to high school students and smaller scholarships to eighth-graders.
They are hoping to increase the number of scholarships they give out this year.
“If you look back at the history of the Colony Club, education was a main goal for them,” she said.
Today, the club’s members “know the value of education in the community, so we like to promote it as much as we can,” she said.
Cathi Ferber, the Colony Club president, said they also aim to encourage young women.
The club sponsors a high school student to attend the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs Girls’ Career Institute, which allows students exposure to several different careers and allows girls to experience college life by staying in a Rutgers University dorm and attending lectures and workshops.
Root said she remembered one girl they sponsored who did not have family members who attended college. After the experience the girl said she definitely wanted to go to college, Root said.
“Giving them that opportunity makes them reach for the stars,” Root said.
The Colony Club also sponsors an annual spelling bee for Ocean City fifth-graders.
In addition to supporting education, the Colony Club supports different non-profit organizations, including Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs, and the Coalition Against Rape & Abuse (CARA), the Ocean City Community Food Cupboard, the Humane Society of Ocean City, and the Ocean City Clothes Closet.
The club also honors a veteran each year at the club’s holiday party and provides gifts for the veteran and their family. For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, club members give homemade cookies to police officers and firefighters to show their appreciation for their service.
Each month, the club’s meetings include messages from local speakers, and the club has additional committees that focus on literature, travel, and other special interests.
Through the NJSFWC, the club also advocates for legislation impacting women and children. Currently, according to the NJSFWC, this includes full funding for the Violence Against Women Act, for breast cancer awareness, the prosecution of illegal handguns, barring sex offenders from jobs that involve contact with children, and piloting personal finance education for high school seniors, among many other initiatives.
The Colony Club currently has about 75 members and is always looking for more.
“We’re looking for strong women, good friends and caring volunteers who like to have fun, and eat,” Ferber said.
Tickets for the Colony Club of Ocean City’s annual fashion show luncheon are $40 and proceeds benefit student scholarships. For tickets, call (609) 247-1332. Additional information on the Colony Club is available at https://colonyclubocnj.wordpress.com/.