Mad Hatter's Tea Party to benefit One Hope United

Don't be late for this very important date.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party featuring the 7th Annual Blue Ribbon Fashion Show and Auction to benefit the Lake Villa-based One Hope United, is set for Sunday, April 18.

The event runs from 1-5 p.m. at the Lehmann Mansion, 485 Milwaukee Ave. in Lake Villa. Tickets are $75 and benefit child abuse prevention programs.

Jennifer Evans is one of the event's organizers. She said they wanted to capitalize on the current popularity of the "Alice in Wonderland" movie.

"We've always wanted to have a tea party since the event is on a Sunday. So we thought it might be fun to tie into the movie," Evans said. "And what's more fun than a Mad Hatter's Tea Party?"

Evans recruited volunteer actors from the PM&L Theater in Antioch to be characters for the day. About a dozen people will dress in character and mingle with the nearly 400 expected guests. They will also perform a skit.

"We'll have a Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, White Queen, Caterpillar and, of course, the Cheshire Cat," Evans said. "I'll be playing the Red Queen. It's going to be a lot of fun."

The day includes lunch, silent and live auctions, and culminates with the fashion show.

The annual gathering is the biggest fundraising effort of the year, Evans said.

Nearly $175,000 was raised last year. This year's goal is $200,000.

"Given the state of the economy, we never thought we could raise as much as we did last year. But people were very generous. We are setting the bar even higher this year," she said.

Funds are raised through ticket sales and also through corporate sponsorships, Evans said.

Registrations are being taken at onehopeunited.org or by calling (847) 245-6500

One Hope United is a private social service agency serving more than 15,000 children and families offering prevention, intervention and other programs that protect families, according to its Web site.