A sea of pink covered the fellowship hall at Sequim Community Church on Oct. 5 as women sported pink attire and whimsical hats for the 21st-annual Mad Hatters Tea party and luncheon.

Along with October’s breast cancer awareness month color of pink, “Pretty in Pink” was the themes for this year’s event where about 200 women gathered to support breast cancer victims and survivors as well as organizations benefiting breast cancer research.

The Mad Hatters Tea is a nonprofit event that has continued a tea party tradition since 1997 in memory of Jan Chatfield. Chatfield and her friends held a tea party and wore hats when she was battling breast cancer; she died shortly after the tea party’s inception.

Proceeds from this year’s party — about $10,000 — is split between Olympic Medical Center’s Cancer Center and Operation Uplift, a nonprofit cancer support group.

Loretta Ferguson, Mad Hatters Tea committee co-chair, said this year’s event raised more than last year’s with proceeds from ticket sales, sponsorship, individual and monetary donations and raffle money from last year. More than $3,400 also was raised from this year’s raffle tickets and silent auction.

“This is the most amount of money we have ever raised and donated in the Mad Hatters’ 21-year history,” Ferguson said.

This year’s event included more sponsors and added gift baskets, Ferguson said, and also included a silent auction and raffle.

“We’re excited about what we’ve accomplished (and) we couldn’t do it without our sponsors and community,” Ferguson said.

“We provide an opportunity for women to come together, share fellowship, girl power and a time to support each other,” she said.

Joann Cavin, left, Julie Tarbuck and Pauline Olsen, enjoy lunch at the 21st annual Mad Hatters tea party and luncheon on Oct. 5. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins

M.J. Anderson, left, converses with Melody Albertson, Mad Hatters committee secretary, and Barb Flavin, over tea at the 21st annual Mad Hatters tea party and luncheon on Oct. 5. at Sequim Community Church. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins