Published on Saturday, March 06, 2010
By ERICA SHEN
When Carole Kathey joined Lake Menifee Women's Club, she didn't know she would stay a member for 20 years.
"I didn't know if it was going to take off," said the 76-year-old from Menifee. "I just knew that we wanted to do something for our community."
The club turned out to be a bigger success than anyone had expected. The women not only started the area's first Fourth of July celebration, but also donated to scholarships and nonprofit groups for women and children.
On Tuesday members, who range from their mid-20s to mid-80s, will celebrate the club's 20th birthday.
The club started with a handful of members who were residents of the Menifee Lakes residential community in Menifee.
"We were all new to the area," said Diane Bean, one of the club's founding members. "There really wasn't anything to do. It was important for us to do something for the families here."
The group's goal was to serve families and children by hosting events such as Easter egg hunts and Halloween costume parties. Members held bake sales and rummage sales to raise money for the events.
At one time, membership grew to 70. Now the club has about 40 members and is open to all women who live in Menifee and surrounding communities.
Kathey remembers the club's first Fourth of July celebration, where only a few hundred people showed up. Now the event features vendors, entertainment and a parade and attracts more than 10,000.
It has become so big that the city of Menifee will take over organizing the event from this year forward.
"It's kind of a bittersweet thing to let it go because we've done it for so long," club President Gloria Hetland said. "But it's good because we just can't do it all."
As a way to honor the club, the city has invited the women to co-host the celebration this year.
Hetland said the group is becoming more of a philanthropic organization. Instead of putting on community events, members will be fundraising for local scholarships and other nonprofits
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