BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Lake Butler Woman’s Club held its annual Valentine’s Day luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
Although the event has traditionally been held prior to, or on, the holiday, this year there were scheduling issues for the use of the building which is becoming more and more popular as a location for bridal and baby showers, birthday and anniversary parties, meetings and small weddings.
While the event was held after the holiday, it did not affect the community’s response. About 80 people came to eat, many bringing their valentines with them.
Diners were provided with baked ham and a large selection of salads and sides to choose from. As usual, the dessert table was the star of the show, with cakes, pies, cobblers, cookies, and cupcakes all on display.
Many people could be seen returning for seconds at both the main buffet and the dessert table, and more than a few cookies found their way into pockets to be taken home for loved ones unable to attend.
The luncheon has always been one of the club’s main fund-raising events, and this year’s tally of donations for meals, donations, proceeds from the 50/50 fundraiser, and the silent auction tallied in at about $1,250.
Now that the renovations of the historic building, once the original Union County Courthouse, are complete, the funds raised will all go into the club’s general fund to finance the annual scholarship the club awards and other community projects, such as the support of the club in working with the city of Lake Butler to get the islands on Main St. cleaned up and landscaped in a way that they could easily be maintained, with plants appropriate to the climate and which require minimum care.
The restoration of the building is complete, and the effort to modernize it without damaging the historical significance of the structure is a success. The club now has the opportunity to be even more supportive of the community than it has been in the past. The restoration project took several years and was funded by the club itself and many generous donations from businesses and members of the community. The total cost of the renovation was approx. $125,000.
The clubhouse is available for rentals and events. Anyone interested in reserving it can do so by contacting any club member for more information.
