Members of the Buford Woman’s Club enjoy Christmas lunch at a local restaurant to celebrate the holidays.
With a storied 100-year history, the Buford Lanier Woman’s Club continues to empower women to make a difference. Coming out of the pandemic, the 55-member organization offers a full schedule of activities and community support for its 100th anniversary.
To commemorate the anniversary, members are planning a major celebration this fall. In the meantime, it has expanded its programming and events to pre-pandemic levels.
When Bobbie Biggerstaff, secretary, began recounting activities of the past 12 months and detailing plans for the next 12, she had to pause to catch her breath.
“There are so many ways that we support the community in Gwinnett and Hall counties – from raising money for scholarships to creating tutus and heroes capes for children at Egleston Hospital – that membership can appeal to a broad base of women,” said Biggerstaff. “In addition to our community service, we have an active schedule of social activities, including monthly meetings and our fund-raising events. And best of all, we have fun and have made long-lasting friendships.”
Even through the pandemic, the club stayed active, but now that social events and getting together have returned to normal, members are once again busy with events and reaching out for new members.
The club’s next major event, Saturday, April 15, is Game Day for Gateway, a center in Gainesville that supports women victims of domestic violence. For a $25 donation, participants can play BINGO and have lunch. To be held at George Pierce Park in Buford, the event takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Additional BINGO cards are available. It is the club’s major fundraiser for 2023.
“The women at Gateway Domestic Violence Center are working to rebuild their lives and some of them are single moms as well,” she said. “Our goal is to help them gain the skills to get a decent job and we provide scholarships for single moms who want to attend a tech or trade school. It’s just one of our many community partners.”
The Buford Lanier Woman’s Club participates in the bi-annual April and November Belk Charity Day Sales.
“Our fund-raising programs showcase our community support, but we do much more than fund-raise,” Biggerstaff said. “We focus our mission on four areas: arts, conservation, education and community outreach.”
The organization supports the Buford Seniors Center, the Buford Community Girls’ Chorus that performs at the club’s holiday luncheon, art programs at Flowery Branch High School by providing art supplies, Lake Lanier Association’s Shore Sweep, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Quilts of Valor and other groups.
Its members also staff the Buford Museum of History, located in the Buford Community Center.
The Buford Woman’s Club book club meets at a book store to discuss the latest books they are reading.
General membership meetings typically take place on the second Wednesday of each month. In addition to club business, a guest speaker presents a program.
Then there’s the club’s book club, bridge gatherings, wine tastings and other socials.
“Many of our events are open to women interested in affiliation with us, and we welcome them to attend our programs to check us out,” Biggerstaff said. “Everything is listed on our website and they can also email us for information. We’re a welcoming group who loves to meet new people, give back to the community and stay involved.”
For more information, visit the organization’s website, www.bufordlanierwomansclub.org or its Facebook page.
Photos: courtesy of Buford Lanier Woman’s Club
