The Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSE) held its 6th annual Hat Tea fundraising event on May 1st at the Hilton Orrington Hotel.

More than 230 guests of all ages attended the high tea which raised more than $19,000.  This year’s tea celebrated all things Princess. Children attending the Hat Tea were invited to decorate and keep a crown or tiara of their very own.

Donning lovely hats, tiaras and festive dresses, the children participated in a variety of crafts and play stations. Starfish Learning Center clowns fashioned fairy wings and animals from balloons. Cookie decorating and the Story Corner, performed by local actress Cat Dean were popular activities. Stylists from The Paul Mitchell School, Chicago, set up an on-site salon at the event where the girls could get makeovers including hair and nails.

The Hat Tea invokes the roots of the 98 year old organization, which was founded by an all-woman board, and is a wonderful opportunity for multiple generations of daughters and mothers to spend the afternoon together.  All proceeds from the event benefit IWSE’s programs providing high-quality early childhood education and family support services for teen parents and low-income families with young children in the city of Evanston and the surrounding communities.