As as adult, meeting people in a new town can be a challenge. Without that circle of socialization you had when you were a kid, with school or sports or extra-curricular activities, it’s hard to jump right into a group of friends. And being new, that’s when you need a support group the most.

That’s how Ann Enthoven found herself when she moved to Preston Hollow. Luckily, a friend of her sister-in-law sent her an application for membership to the Preston Royal Women’s Club. Now, three years later, Enthoven is the president of the club.

“It’s a great way for women to meet each other – especially people that live close by. And because it’s not so big, we can get to know people very well, and it makes it easier to get involved in any aspect of the club, whether it’s planning social events or working on the fundraiser or organizing programs,” Enthoven says.

The Preston Royal Women’s Club has about 40-60 members of mostly younger women who live in the Preston Royal area, although Enthoven says anyone is welcome to join.

“It’s mostly a social group,” Enthoven says. “We only have one fundraiser a year, and it’s definitely not a group that brings their kids along. It’s all about the women.”
Some of their events include wine tastings, a holiday lunch, the big membership brunch held in September, and everybody’s favorite, the “Road Rally.” This event is held on Saturday night in January and is basically a big scavenger hunt. “It’s the only event where the husbands get to participate, so with the men it gets really competitive,” Enthoven says, explaining that after the scavenger hunt they end up at a neighborhood restaurant to give out prizes. “It’s so much fun,” she adds.

But, she continues, as much as it is about fun, it’s also about support and having some help when things get a little hectic. And that’s where the Sunshine Girls come in.

Any time a member of the club has a baby, a death, or any kind of crisis, the Sunshine Girls coordinate some help, mostly in the form of food.

“After I had my baby, every night for a week a different person from the group brought a prepared meal so I didn’t have to worry about cooking dinner,” says recent mom Heidi Paredes. “I also have a two-year-old and I was so overwhelmed. It was really nice to have that.”

The group also stays active in the community. Each year, they have an “Absentee Tea” to raise money for Fire Station No. 41 at Preston and Royal. Instead of having everybody get together for a big event, they send out a bag of tea with a letter asking for donations. “It’s so we can raise money without a big to-do,” Enthoven says.

This year, however, the women have decided to take on another cause. While half of their proceeds will go to the fire station, the other half will go toward Dallas’ Challenge Air program, a non-profit organization geared toward providing inspirational and motivational experiences for disabled children through aviation. “It’s really a day of fun for these kids. And we felt like this was a charity that doesn’t get a lot of publicity, but it’s still important,” member Melanie Bohlman says.

In order to raise more money this year, Bohlman has begun organizing the first-ever Holiday Home Tour in Preston Hollow, which will be held Dec. 5.

“We are all very excited about starting the first Home Tour in Preston Hollow,” says Bohlman.