photo by: Julie Stenger

Elaine Underwood of Weirton, left, was named the grand prize winner in the holiday drawing for a pair of gold earrings donated by Discovery Jewelers in Wintersville during the 23rd-annual Holiday Splendor event. Mary Beth Allen presented the jewelry to Underwood following her name being drawn from those entered into the contest.

Christmas. It is the season of giving.

It is the time when people express their love for one another.

And perhaps no one knows more about giving than those involved in the Wintersville Women’s Club.

While the club’s members give back to the community throughout the entire year, there is one annual fundraiser that stands as a beacon of their dedication.

It is a tradition that has continued for the past 23 years. Its name speaks for itself … Holiday Splendor.

On Dec. 7, the club once again welcomed the community to its highly-anticipated and cherished event, held at St. Florian Hall in Wintersville.

The Holiday Splendor Luncheon and Style Show was an afternoon filled with warmth, fellowship and that unmistakable spirit of the season.

The success of the event is no accident, of course. Members begin preparing as early as May, according to club President Cheryl Taylor.

The generosity of attendees was reflected not only in spirit, but in the numbers.

There were 33 door prizes collected by members. The 50/50 drawing alone raised $587. The basket drawing brought in $2,701.

The Chef’s Table drawing at Pastaio’s added $520 to the club’s total, while vendor tables contributed $675.

Ads, which members worked to secure for the event’s program, brought in $1,125; and the television and wreath auction raised $555.

Together, these efforts resulted in a profit — after expenses — of $7,081.27 for the Wintersville club.

“It is a large undertaking by members, but one that brings joy year after year,” Taylor said of the event.

These funds will be placed into the club’s account to support scholarships and community contributions given throughout the year.

Profits from Holiday Splendor allow the club to award the $1,000 Glenda Dunlope Scholarship and the $1,000 Wintersville Woman’s Club Scholarship to an Indian Creek senior; a $500 matching scholarship to a Franciscan University student; and a $500 scholarship previously designated for Eastern Gateway Community College. Taylor explained the club hopes to continue that EGCC scholarship with Youngstown State University once it establishes its campus in Steubenville.

Beyond scholarships, the club gifts donations to help better the village. It has donated in support of area nonprofits and organizations such as Wintersville Fire and Rescue, the Blessing Box at Wintersville Methodist Church, the Urban Mission, Trinity Health System’s Teramana Cancer Center, the United Way of Jefferson County, the United Way Meals of Hope program, Wreaths Across America, and the Mohican Memorial Shrine.

The club even extends its reach to those who are experiencing extreme loss, such as those in Ohio County affected by the devestating flooding which occurred in June, or towns that are thousands of miles away facing devastation, such as neighborhoods destroyed by the California wildfires.

Amidst the fundraising, the event featured entertainment in the form of a style show, showcasing a collection of casual and holiday wear from Chico’s in Cranberry, Pa. Club members, along with their relatives, served as the show’s models.

Holiday Splendor is a day in which club members from across Ohio and West Virginia can celebrate the holidays with one another, while raising money for an important cause.

Those in attendance included club members from the Woman’s Club of Steubenville, East Springfield, Boardman, Poland, Warren, Wheeling and Weirton, as well as GFWC state leaders, including Treasurer Deidra Devore, First Vice President Barbara Davarin, President Esther Gartland and Past President Yvonne Ford.