The GREAT GATSBY Roaring ’20s era came to life on January 12, 2026, at the Boca Pointe PAP Corps’ major annual card party fundraiser, held this year at Boca Lago Golf and Country Club in Boca Raton. More than 200 women, many of them dressed in 1920s attire, joined in the festivities.
Posing in front of the photo wall, lovely PAP Corps attendees modeled sparkling dresses, colorful feather boas, strands of pearls, flapper-style beaded and feathered headbands, and long gloves. Utilizing a 1920s complimentary phrase, those decoratively costumed ladies were definitely “the cat’s meow” (very stylish).
To help attendees get into the spirit of the event, all rooms were given a Roaring ’20s name. Guests entered the RENDEZVOUS ROOM to pick up their name tags. (The secret password for entry was “Hootchy-Kootchy.”)
They then proceeded into the SECRET STASH ROOM to peruse the incredible display of raffle gifts. Raffle ticket sales were at an all-time high, adding to the size of the chapter’s financial contribution to the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. There was also a silent auction. To reinforce the theme, “prohibited” bottles of booze on wooden crates and copies of newspapers from the 1920s proclaiming Prohibition adorned the raffle tables.
Next up for the guests was a visit to the HOTSY-TOTSY BOUTIQUE PARLOR. There they could shop ’til they dropped as they browsed the fashionable wares of the many venders, featuring beautiful clothing, jewelry, handbags, accessories, makeup and more.
Hungry from all that shopping? Guests could relax and enjoy a delicious continental breakfast available in each of the three cardrooms, while getting an early start on their favorite games. Borrowing names from the 1920s Prohibition era, the first card room, named HUSH-HUSH HAVEN, hosted Bridge and Canasta players; the second card room, SPEAKEASY SALOON, hosted Canasta players; and the third card room, LONGLEG LOUNGE, hosted Mahjongg and Canasta players. Flapper girl posters and Prohibition signage added to the décor.
After a morning of shopping, eating, playing games, and visiting with friends, guests were invited into the GILDED GATSBY BALLROOM. There they enjoyed a delicious plated lunch and delectable dessert, while applauding their friends who were lucky enough to win one of the spectacular raffle gifts. Table decorations featured decorative gold wine bottles festooned with, ribbon, rhinestones, ostrich feathers, flowers and beads, along with classic old photos in gilded frames, and ornate gold charger plates. Each attendee received a fancy sequined and feathered headband as a souvenir gift.
Following lunch, guests returned to their assigned card rooms with their friends for more games, conversation and fun.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous The Great Gatsby novel, and the lavish film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, epitomized extravagance, ostentation and squandered wealth. While the PAP Corps Great Gatsby card party featured the glitz, decorative costumes, and art deco designs of the 1920s era, its goal was to promote generosity and charitable giving in the fight to wipe out cancer. And those attending the event complied, fully participating in the fun while contributing generously to the cause.
Once again, it took a village to organize and coordinate all the moving parts of this major annual card party fund raiser, according to Gail Meddoff and Denise Siegel, who co-chaired the event. Ms. Siegel also headed the Raffle Committee, along with Linda Pavlov. Together they procured and wrapped all the incredible raffle prize baskets.
Recognition and thanks to the following: Corporate Member Nancy Goldstein and Felice Rosen for the monumental job of coordinating the registration process, dining and game table assignments; Treasurer Allan Wickstein and Jane Gutterman for handling fiscal operations and managing cash and credit card transactions; Jill Angelino, who arranged and coordinated the many Vendor Boutiques; Ann Rhodes, Joan Samitt, and Diane Davis for manning the sign-in tables; Connie Murray, for helping design and assemble the swanky centerpieces; Lynn Berman for designing and producing the creative art deco table numbers; Chapter President Belinda Coon for all the festive balloons and her leadership skills; Kathy London for being a wonderful helper wherever needed; Dee Zwicker for sending out the colorful email blasts marketing this event; Arlene Fisher, Lynn Berman, and Arlene Fineman for handling Tribute Card sales; Membership Chair Andrea Gralnik for signing up new members and welcoming new life members; Photographer Andrew Meddoff for snapping hundreds of pictures of the attendees and the event; along with everyone else who helped.
According to feedback from those attending the card party, the consensus was that they really enjoyed the fun theme, shopping, food, games and comradery. They were also proud to help make a difference in funding cancer research and saving lives. This successful event raised thousands of dollars for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Moreover, like Gatsby and others during the lively Roaring ’20s, the Card Party attendees ate a lot, partied hard, and had a ROARING GOOD TIME! Over the years, the PAP Corps, Champions for Cancer Research, a non-profit organization, has donated millions of dollars to funding cancer research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System.
