Quota Club holds annual event, marks 65 years
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

Quota International of Amherst is celebrating its 65th year in existence.

However, the organization has older roots which are close to home as well.

Quota International was founded by a group of five women in Buffalo after they attended a 1918 Kiwanis Club meeting.

"As women, they wanted to do something similar for the community," said Bernie Schott, vice president of Quota of Amherst. The club was established in 1919 with Wanda Frey Joiner as the first president. The first meeting was held in the Lafayette Hotel in downtown Buffalo.

Clubs then began to form all over the country. Today, Quota is an international organization that remains dedicated to aiding the hard of hearing, the speech impaired and abused women.

Other WNY communities with Quota Clubs include East Aurora, Hamburg, Batavia, Bath and Corning, which, along with Amherst, make up Quota's 17th district.

While Schott, who has been a Quota member for 22 years, noted that every branch of the organization chooses how to give back to the community, the Amherst branch chooses to aid with money, which they raise during the year.

Over the years, Quota Amherst has consistently given financial aid to St. Mary's School for the Deaf and provided a scholarship for a graduate student who is majoring in communication studies for the deaf.

Other organizations that Quota of Amherst has donated to include the Buffalo Zoo, Mercy Flight, Canine Helpers, Creative Edge Arts Studio and organizations designed to help women who have been abused or need assistance transitioning back into the workplace, such as Kathleen Mary House.

The majority of their money is raised by one annual event.

"It's a combined luncheon, fashion show with fashions by Stein Mart and silent and Chinese auctions, with themed baskets and a cash raffle," Schott said.

This year's event, entitled "Hear, Hear, Our 65th Year," will be held at Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Hearthstone Manor, 333 Dick Road, Depew.

Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $22 and offer three choices of entree for lunch.

"Last year we raised about $8,800," Schott said. "But we're always hoping to make more."

For information or tickets for the fashion show, call Alice at 683-9359 or Jean at 685-3177.