Laughter, chatter and the clinking of tea cups filled the Hotel Orrington’s Grand Ballroom on Sunday as women and girls dressed in colorful spring dresses and wearing various styles of hats walked down the staircase to simple and elegant tables.

It was the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston’s first annual “Hat Tea,” an event that brought together grandmothers, mothers, daughters, aunts and the society’s members for an afternoon of activities to raise money for the agency’s services in Evanston, including childcare.

About 200 people registered for the event and more than $10,000 had been raised from ticket sales and sponsors, Executive Director Megan Kashner said.

Attendees were invited to make monetary donations during the event and to buy raffle tickets for prizes that included a “Dining Out” package with gift certificates to Evanston restaurants and a grand prize getaway trip to a vacation home on Inland Lake.

The afternoon’s activities comprised decorating straw hats with flowers and ribbon, getting nails painted by several of the 12 volunteers from Northwestern sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma and buying or donating toys and books from Toys et Cetera and Barnes and Noble.

“It’s a fun event for the children with the tea party and the hats,” Evanston resident Barbara Nimesheim said.

Nimesheim heard about the event from a friend and was accompanied by her daughter, Evanston resident Michelle Palumbo, and granddaughter, Olivia Palumbo.

It was nice to see Olivia buy a toy and book for another child and put it in the donation box, Nimesheim said.

It was Kashner’s idea to host the tea, said the agency’s Board President Tracy Poe.

The agency wanted an event that brought together multiple generations of women and that “symbolizes the agency’s history,” Poe said.

The 93-year-old organization was originally run by an all-female volunteer staff. Today, the non-profit organization provides services ranging from childcare to parenting education and support classes for families in unsafe and unstable environments.

Marti Kingwill and her daughter Jessica attended the tea as guests of her mother-in-law, Diane Kingwill, who is a member of the Infant Welfare Society.

The whole atmosphere of the tea and how fancy the event was made it appealing and fun for the girls, Kingwill said.

There was a lot to take in, she said.

“It’s fun to get dressed up,” 17-year-old Hailey Mattson said.

Hailey was joined by her mother, Lori Sue Natt, and her two younger sisters Isabel and Emily.

Although Hailey was one of the oldest girls there, Natt still thought her daughter was having a good time, she said.

“It’s fun and whimsical,” Natt said. “You’re never too old to enjoy it.”

Reach Anna Prior at [email protected].