he Toast to Fashion can mean only one thing. The Toast to Alexandria is not far behind. The Toast to Fashion, a preview event for the Toast, was held last week at The Campagna Center. Co-chairs this year were Kim Speed and Sheila Whalen. They chose this year to use several boutiques: All About Jane, American in Paris, Kate Spade, Lilly's Pad/Orient Expressed, Plaid, Romance for the Senses, saeyoung vu couture, Sassanova, Sugar, Talbots and Tickled Pink.
Speed said, "It was nice to venture out. We decided that we needed to do something different this year and asked some of the newer boutiques.î
Speed and Whalen also co-chaired the event last year. Speed said that last year they added the Marketplace Boutiques, which featured a variety of stores who came in to sell accessories and other items. This year's boutiques were: Dress Me Up, In the Pink, Kia Clogs, Lilly's Pad, Nancy's Fancies, Queen Bee Designs and Tina Dale Handbags.
The event raised close to $6,500 and Speed said, "We're very pleased with the outcome. We got rave reviews from the Center. It was very fun and an added bonus to have Alison and Doug."
Alison Starling and Doug McKelway are anchors for "Good Morning Washington" on ABC7/WJLA-TV. They are serving as the honorary co-chairs for the Toast to Alexandria.
McKelway said, "This is my first experience with The Campagna Center and I'm very impressed with what they do."
Meeting McKelway was especially interesting for Katherine Morrison, executive director of the center. She realized that Doug's sister was the same McKelway that she went to school with; they spent a few minutes talking about classmates that they knew in common.
Speed, who is already planning to work on next year's Toast with Dana Jones, said, "I'm looking forward to the Toast."
WHERE & WHEN
The 34th Annual Toast to Alexandria will take place on May 16 at Collingwood-on-the-Potomac from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets range from $45 (in advance) to $100. The Toast to Alexandria provides a special opportunity for the community to come together to enjoy some of the area's finest food and beverages while supporting The Campagna Center programs. In a garden-party atmosphere, local eateries and caterers provide Toast guests with samples of their cuisine. A variety of wines, beers and alternative beverages are also provided. The annual Toast to Alexandria benefits The Campagna Center, a nonprofit human services organization, founded in 1945 with its mission to serve and strengthen families and at-risk youth. The Toast to Alexandria is one of The Campagna Center's major fundraising activities, supporting such programs as Alexandria Head Start, Early Head Start, Campagna Kids, a 21st Century Community Learning Center, Wright to Read and RSVP.
For more information about the Toast to Alexandria or The Campagna Center, contact Elizabeth Garstecki at The Campagna Center at 703-549-0111, egarstecki@campagnacenter.org or visit www.campagnacenter.org.