Make me a sandwich: Season's charity events not limited to tux-and-tiara dinner dances

Note: On The Town, the Shiny Sheet's special section written by Shannon Donnelly and focusing on the new social season, publishes this Sunday.

Here's a preview to pique your curiosity. Or load your slingshot. Whichever.

Say "Palm Beach social scene" and the image evoked by the phrase is the same for almost everyone — the formal dinner dance, with its concomitant gowns, tuxedos, tiaras and orchestras.

But that's not the whole picture.

There's also the pastel suits, floral dresses and the navy blue blazers that are the uniform for the luncheons that become more prevalent on the social calendar with each new season.

So, why a luncheon when the dinner dance is the standard?

For the former Palm Beach Habilitation Center's Hab-a-Hearts Luncheon, which took place annually for 30 years every February until the organization merged last year with Arc of Palm Beach County, it was about husbands, golf and sandwiches.

"We wanted to schedule something for the ladies to do when the men were golfing," said Tina Philips, former president of the center.

"The first luncheon we had on the men's traditional golfing day because we didn't want them getting mad that their wives weren't home to make them a sandwich for lunch." (June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson, apparently, were the co-chairs.)

"Not a real scientific reason," Phillips said, laughing. "But that's why. And now some of the husbands are starting to come to the luncheon, which makes us very happy."

And no, they don't serve sandwiches.

Also not serving sandwiches ― and not caring a fig if anybody's hubby gets his golf knickers in a twist ― are the November early birds. The Opportunity Early Childhood Education and Family Center's holiday brunch takes place on Wednesday at the Sailfish Club. Courtney Celeste Fisch and Pilar Alvarez-Palazio are chairwomen. Call 561-352-9552 for info. They are joined on the November calendar by Grandma’s Angels, the support group of Grandma's Place nursery. They will gather for a Holiday Luncheon on the 28th at the Sailfish Club. Jodie Schmitz and Sunny Hawkins are chairwomen. Call 561-753-2226 for info.

In December, Cleveland Clinic Florida hosts a by-invitation Ask the Experts luncheon on the 5th at Café Boulud. Place of Hope's inaugural "Light In The Shadows" luncheon to fight human trafficking will be on the 7th at Mar-a-Lago Club. Jill Gallagher and Jordan Brown are chairwomen of the by-invitation event.

January's midday revelries include the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Women's Guild's by-invitation "Eye Know You’ll Love This" brunch at Café Boulud on the 9th. Also on the 9th, H.O.W. *(Hearing the Ovarian cancer Whisper) is bringing its "Time Is of the Essence" luncheon and fashion show by Dennis Basso to the Sailfish Club. Andrea Stark, Eddy Taylor and Christine Schott are chairwomen. Call 561-406-2109 for info.

February brings The Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope's 2024 Shop the Day Away luncheon on the 7th at The Breakers. Sarah Ferguson is the keynote speaker. Arlette Gordon is chairwoman; Joseph and Max McNamara are chairmen. Call 561-215-7360 for info. The ladies of the St. Edward Guild bring their by-invitation Valentine's Day luncheon and fashion show to the Beach Club, also on the 7th. Priscilla Schmeelk and Michele Manolis are chairwomen. Palm Beach Atlantic University will honor its 2024 Women of Distinction at a by-invitation luncheon at The Breakers on the 20th. The Center for Family Services celebrates the silver anniversary of its signature Old Bags Luncheon (with rumored guest speaker Martha Stewart!) at The Breakers on the 21st. On the 26th, the Richard David Kann (RDK) Melanoma Foundation brings its luncheon and Naeem Khan fashion show to The Breakers. Beth Neuhoff, Suzanne Niedland, and Vera Serrano are honorary chairwomen. Call 561-655-9655 for info. February closes with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute's Lunch and Learn at Club Colette on the 28th. Call 561-515-1527 for info.

In March, the Children’s Home Society of Florida hosts its Spring Luncheon at The Colony on the 5th. Tere Borgia is chairwoman, with Kathy Leone and Wendy Roberts serving as honorary chairwomen. Call 561-402-0823 for info. The Michael J. Fox Foundation will host the "It Will Take All of Us to Cure Parkinson's" luncheon at the Sailfish Club on the 7th. Marlene Silver and Bonnie Strauss are chairwomen of the by-invitation event, with Martin Silver and Tom Strauss serving as chairmen. The Chicago-based Irish Georgian Society comes to Palm Beach on the 18th for its annual by-invitation luncheon at Café Boulud; and on the 21st, Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches hosts its third annual EnVision 20/20 Luncheon at the Sailfish Club. Maria Beaudouin, Page Ferrell and Roshan Massoumi are chairwomen. Call 561-586-5600 for info.

April wraps up the luncheon season with the MorseLife Health System's annual golf classic awards luncheon on April 8 at the Flagler Steakhouse. Ed Pantzer is chairman. Call 561-242-4661 for info.

No tux required.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Ladies' - and gentlemen's too! - luncheons stake a claim on calendar