A unique group of women aged 50 and over will paint Borderland a happy shade of red next weekend—and make a little history while they’re at it.
At least 160 Red Hat Society members from Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota will meet Saturday, Sept. 11 for a three-hour luncheon starting at 11 a.m. at the Holiday Inn over in International Falls.
Dubbed “Red Hats Together,” it just might be the start of something great here.
“I’m really excited about this,” enthused Pattie Anderson, Queen ‘B’ of “The Red Hat Rippers” chapter in Fort Frances who helped spearhead plans for the luncheon with Red Hat chapter members from International Falls.
“This will be a very first for all of us,” she noted of the local, yet international, event. “We wanted to do something for both sides [of the border] together.”
Response to the luncheon from other Red Hat Society chapters across Northwestern Ontario has been overwhelming. Anderson expects to see attendance from two chapters from Dryden, as well as one each from Atikokan and Thunder Bay.
Winnipeg chapters also have expressed interest.
“It just goes to show you women just want to have fun and friendship—that’s what it’s all about,” remarked Susan Douglas, Queen ‘B’ of “Les Rouges Rogues,” a bilingual Red Hat chapter of 30 women which started just yesterday in Rainy River.
At least 14 of them also will be at the Sept. 11 luncheon.
“I think it’s quite exciting just to get dressed up and be together,” added Douglas.
Once Anderson had the luncheon nailed down, she pounded the pavement for sponsors of door prizes and donations for gift bags—and found her arms full of contributions.
“There I was ‘putzing’ up and down Scott Street bugging [retailers]. The response from businesses has been wonderful,” Anderson enthused.
A similar response was met among International Falls businesses when a Red Hat chapter member over there did the same thing.
T-shirts sporting a unique “Red Hats Together” logo will be available for order at the luncheon. Anderson helped design the logo, along with Doug Anderson of Betty’s of Fort Frances.
Red Hat rage is relatively new in the district. Locally, “The Red Hat Rippers” chapter formed in February, with the newest addition—“The Red Hot Rainy Lakers,” headed up by Queen ‘B’ Judy McLeod—following suit.
The Red Hat Society originated in the U.S. six years ago. It now boasts more than 750,000 members worldwide and recently registered its 30,000th chapter.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
