- April 20, 2024
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Asian Women's Club of Lakewood Ranch members Dr. Caring Santos, Tina Harrison, Tina Oakes, Vicky Imperial-Hubert, Maria Cora Gaffar, Teresa Haddock and Lilly Chaddha show off their formal wear.
Irene Leung and Emy Stewart just met at the event.
Cora Sandes, Sandy Wick and Estrella Dittmar greet attendees at the door.
Phyllis and David Oakes enjoy a night of dinner and dancing.
Manayake Wickram brings his daughter, Shenali, as his guest for the event.
Megha Pandit celebrates her Middle Eastern heritage with her attire.
Darlene Pineivero and Mara Mingledorff wait for dinner and dancing to begin.
Robert and Regina McKenna mingle with friends.
Chong Lorenzi takes a photo of her friends.
Tony Cirrintano and Virgie Lynch are dates for the event.
Jessica Caycedo and Michael Morgan share laughs near the snack table.
Nalani Simpson, of SPARCC, makes new friends, such as Dylan Sanders.
Greg Van Natter and Aroon Chaddha are longtime friends.
Three years ago, Maria Cora Gaffar sought a way to celebrate her Philippines heritage, but in a colorful way.
Gaffar, the president of the Asian Women's Club of Lakewood Ranch, has organized the annual Orchid Ball since 2013.
"Asian countries are known for their beautiful orchids," Gaffar said. "And we all love the flower, so it was a perfect name."
This year's ball, which was held Feb. 27 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sarasota, featured dinner, dancing and mingling, for a cause. The $85 entrance fee benefited two organizations — Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) and the Food Bank of Manatee — and a $500 scholarship for a female student at State College of Florida.
Members of the Ranch club hail from India, Japan, China and Sri Lanka, among other countries.
"This is a fun way for us to come together and celebrate our different cultures," Gaffar said.
