AWC Antwerp Laura de Groen, Past President
For the American Women’s Club of Antwerp (AWCA), 2019 was as sparkling and multifaceted as the diamond in its logo. Founded in 1929, the club celebrated its 90th anniversary with a series of special events, including a Founders Day lunch, a reception at Antwerp City Hall, several special tours and a gala dinner-dance with an auction. It also published a glossy 90th anniversary edition of the club’s newsletter, the ChitChat, with letters of thanks from the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and the Mayor of Antwerp, praising the AWCA for its exemplary contributions to the community.
AWC Antwerp 90 Years
by Liza Sarrazin photographyAt the Oscars-themed Founders Day lunch in Amuz, a former Augustine church, President Kanika Holloway reflected on the club’s history, which includes being one of the seven founding members of the Federation of American Women’s Clubs in Europe (later FAWCO). Representatives from some of the organizations supported by the club were invited to join. They included the Sisters of the Little Ones, the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp (whose students recently performed for Princess Elisabeth of Belgium at her 18th birthday party) and staff from the four local hospitals with AWCA-sponsored “lounges” for breast cancer patients. Upcoming President Celeste Bennekers took the lead for the awards ceremony, with deeply touching and personal stories about members celebrating a 5-year milestone, including a tribute to the longest-standing member of 65 years, Mia Deters. The City of Antwerp honored the club with a reception at City Hall where the club was presented with a plaque. Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Lussenhoop, representing the Ambassador of the US to Belgium, joined club members and other local dignitaries at the event. The gala dinner-dance was an evening of fine dining and fun in the foyer of the newly renovated Elisabeth Center, the magnificent concert hall adjacent to the Antwerp Zoo. With an eye toward the club’s continuing commitment to social, cultural and philanthropic causes, a basket auction was organized to raise money for the club and its charities.