More than 140 women gathered May 5, 2004 at the Durango Recreation Center Peaks Ballroom for WRC's special friend-raising and fund-raising event designed to celebrate the special bonds that women share.

Guests at the 1st Annual Extraordinary Woman Luncheon and Fashion Show enjoyed an elegant salad lunch catered by the Strater's 1887 Catering Company while viewing a parade of fashions presented by WRC's luncheon partners - the La Plata County Humane Society Thrift Store and the Volunteers of America Thrift Store.

The thrift stores also decorated themed display tables using only wares from their stores. Guests voted for their favorite displays in the categories of Most Creative, Most Elegant and Most Eclectic. Themes included Bride's Dream, Bourbon Street, Western Roundup, Tuscan Fantasy and Barbie's Gone Wild. The items were auctioned off at the end of the event to raise funds for the Center and the thrift stores. Tabletop designers were Mary Thomas from the Humane Society Thrift Store and Vanessa Maestas from the VOA Thrift Store.

The Center's first annual Extraordinary Woman Awards were presented during the event. In early April, community members submitted nominations of 100 words or fewer on why their nominee was so extraordinary. A panel of judges chose three remarkable women whose achievements brought cheers and tears from the audience. The 2004 winners were:

• Kate MacElveen, founder of the Safe Schools Coalition and a trainer in non-violent communication (nominated by Cristina Grabiel)
• Laura Lewis, Executive Director, Operation Healthy Communities (nominated by Lon Erwin)
• Carole (Peppy) Seale, founder of the women's sports program at Fort Lewis College and faculty in the Exercise Science Department for more than 30 years (nominated by Cathy Simbeck and eight FLC colleagues)

Luncheon guests were saddened to learn that Seale was unable to attend because of her battle with pancreatic cancer. Several of Seale's family members and friends attended the luncheon to accept the award on her behalf.

WRC thanks the following businesses
and individuals for their support of the luncheon: