Viewfinder: Divas for Dollars

Oldies rock music filled the banquet room at the AMVETS Post 66 Friday night as vendors hawked everything from cosmetics to purses to back massages.

The combination may seem odd, but it was all part of a plan by the Buffalo Grove Parent Association to raise money for the school’s post-prom event later this spring.

Dubbed “Diva Night,” the event at the Wheeling post drew an estimated 180 people, who, by the time the band, Replay, cranked up the volume, were dancing in the aisles between the bandstand and vendor tables.

The revelers included Principal Carol Burlinski and Vice Principal Mark Schaetzlein. Burlinski snapped pictures as Schaetzlein twirled on the dance floor with Karen Premo.

Event coordinator Mary Jambrone said the parents group named the event “Diva Night” because it was basically designed for women, with vendors selling jewelry, makeup, chocolates and other products that would interest ladies.

“We tried to stay with local vendors,” she said. “We also received a lot of donations from local people.”

The amount of money raised from the event was unknown early this week, but Cara Meyer, who heads up the parent group, estimated they earned between $8,000 and $10,000.

“We have to wait til we hear back from the vendors” on how much they made in sales, she said.

Money raised will help pay for the post-prom event, scheduled to be a boat ride on Lake Michigan in June, organizers said.