Ladies Who Lunch

THE PARTY A sold-out crowd of more than 180 members and guests of the Women’s Board of Catholic Charities gathered at a private club in Lake Forest for the organization’s annual kick off luncheon. The event was one of the organization’s three annual events that precedes the annual Art of Caring Gala, which will be held May 18. THE SCENE The luncheon’s raffle drawing included the grand prize, which was a $1,000 gift certificate toward an Arzu Studio Hope rug woven by the Afghanistan weavers Arzu supports. Other prizes included a Kenyan necklace, a hand-woven Bolivian Alpaca wrap/throw and two tickets to the upcoming 2013 Art of Caring Benefit. THE HIGHLIGHTS Guest of honor and Arzu founder and CEO Connie Duckworth of Lake Forest shared her journey in establishing Arzu Studio Hope and the strides the organization has made toward empowering Afghan women and breaking their cycle of poverty. She also unveiled Arzu’s new Masters Collection of hand-woven rugs designed by internationally renowned architects including Michael Graves and Margaret McCurry. Photos by Corinne Torkelson