Although hats are not the essential fashion accessory they once were, they still have their fans.
Some of those fans, not surprisingly, were in attendance at the 18th annual Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra Hat Luncheon, held June 8 at Greensburg Country Club.
Jill Briercheck says friends call her “the hat lady,” so it’s obvious where she stands.
Tommi Kornecke wears hats “all the time,” and Marianne Merlino says she’s always in a ball cap while working around the house.
Others reserve hat-wearing for a few special occasions in addition to the hat luncheon.
For Jan Taylor-Condo, that day is Easter. For Cindy Strayer, it’s the Westmoreland Croquet Club tournament. And it’s not Kentucky Derby day for Linda Brown and Joann Eberhardt without a hat.
Linda Assard will don a hat for church or an especially cold winter day. Debbie Reese wears a visor for golf.
Susan Antoniono and Barbara Christner say no to the chapeau, as does Sharon Smith, with one qualification: “But I do wear the academic cap.”
Still, half the fun of the hat luncheon is seeing the colorful and creative headgear on the guests, who also enjoyed bidding for auction and raffle items and dining on raspberry salad, a bone-in chicken entree and chocolate-berry dessert.
WSO assistant principal violinist Ramona Coppage and youth symphony members provided musical selections.
Event co-chairs were Karen Kohut and Diane Nickoloff.
Committee members included Assard, Briercheck and Taylor-Condo, along with Janie Belden, Sheila Caramella, Mary Ann Fusco, Phyllis Kluska, Jo Ann Lightcap, Jo Ellen Numerick, June Penta, Sharyn Sekora, Joan Stairs and Kaaren Tintori.
Seen from the symphony: artistic director Daniel Meyer and wife Mary Persin, executive director Endy Reindl and marketing manager Joy Carroll.
