'Royal Tea Party' Donates to Brighton Help Line

In anticipation of the impending arrival of the newest addition to Britain’s royal family, Village Manor in Hartland hosted a Royal Tea Baby Shower complete with fancy hats and tiny sandwiches.

Along with the senior center in Howell, the local senior home invited participants to bring baby gifts that were donated to the Pregnancy Help Line in Brighton.

Among the ooh’s and aah’s heard in a typical baby shower, “Duchess Kate” sat on her throne, wearing her tiara while the staff of "Downtown Abbey" assisted the royal mother as she opened the donated baby gifts. 

The creative fundraising effort was thought up by Village Manor's Barb Shallman and Cathy Skidmore from the Howell Senior Center who wanted to celebrate the new royal heir with a fun event.

"We didn't want to charge anyone," Skidmore said. "That's why we came up with the idea for the baby gifts. And then we asked, where can we donate them to?"

Hearing the news of the shower and donated gifts was a welcome surprise for Pregnancy Help Line director Anne O’Reilly.

"We were so excited," O'Reilly said. "What a clever, fun way to help people out."