The members of The Woman’s Club of Emmaus celebrated the 85th anniversary of the club with a tea party at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Emmaus recently.

Emmaus Mayor Lee Ann Gilbert presented the club with a proclamation. The concluding lines of the proclamation state: “Now therefore, I, Lee Ann Gilbert, Mayor of the Borough of Emmaus and on behalf of Emmaus Borough Council, do hereby recognize and thank The Emmaus Woman’s Club for their commitment to serving our community and congratulate The Emmaus Woman’s Club on its 85th anniversary.”

The Woman’s Club of Emmaus was founded in February 1940 to “promote community and individual welfare.”

The club focuses on three major areas: education, support services for the Emmaus community and the larger Lehigh Valley community.

To meet these goals, the club sponsors a yearly scholarship and graduation awards and recognizes outstanding Emmaus High School senior girls with the Girl of the Month honor.

The club contributed to the building of the current Emmaus Public Library and its recent children’s wing.

The Emmaus Ambulance Corps and Emmaus Fire Company also have been beneficiaries of the club’s work.

One of the picnic pavilions in the Emmaus Community Park was donated by The Woman’s Club of Emmaus.

In the past, the club financially supported the Red Cross, March of Dimes and assisted physicians who were providing immunizations for children, as well as blood pressure screenings sponsored by the American Heart Association.

The club continues to support the annual Emmaus Halloween Parade and the Emmaus Summer Concert Series.

As part of the tea party theme, organizers requested members and guests wear hats or fascinators resulting in a great array of headpieces and hats.

The gathering was truly a celebration.