By David Rogers. August 5, 2011. BLOWING ROCK -- Last week, Kim Rogers was recruited by the Blowing Rock Fashion Show & Luncheon organizers to make sure that her sister, Pam Vines, attended Friday's very special event in benefit of Blowing Rock Hospital at the Blowing Rock Country Club because, Rogers was told, her sister was going to be named "Woman of the Year."  What she didn't  realize was that it was all a ruse, and her sister was in on it.

So when Kim Rogers was announced as the 33rd "Blowing Rock Woman of the Year", she experienced genuine disbelief when her name was announced.  Believing that her sister was to win the award and that the Chamber of Commerce had asked Vines to attend the event to "scout out new volunteers" for Chamber events, Rogers told family members and friends in the know right up until they walked into the Country Club doors that, "Pam is clueless."  

So when the 2010 "Women of the Year" Wendy Estes and sister Kim Hartley started detailing the winner's accomplishments and contributions to the community, Rogers at first thought it was odd that they mistook some of her own activities for Pam's.  She laughed it off -- until they kept on and on and on with the "mistakes" -- then she realized that the "joke" was actually on her, that she was the 2011 Woman of the Year.

In accepting the award, the blushing Rogers told the jam-packed crowd at the Country Club, who rose to a standing ovation, "I look out over this audience and I see so many women who do so much for this community.  YOU are the ones who should be recognized with this award.  There are so many of you who have never told me 'no' when I have asked for help.  All I can say is thank-you, and I love you all."

Afterwards, Rogers told Blowing Rock News, "Not only were my family members in on it, but so were some of my close friends, like Janice Burns. I was clueless."

Rogers joins a prestigious list of 32 women who have previously been honored by the Hospital and its organizing committee. In alphabetical order, the previous honorees include:

• Caroline Abertnethy
• Barbara "Bobby" Ball
• Marge Barrett
• Lena Brooks
• Janice Burns
• Pat Cade
• Grace Carr
• Betty Coleman
• Jeanne Darr
• Teena Davant
• Helen Enterline
• Wendy Estes
• Cathey Fallows
• Betty Gartner
• Susie Greene
• Roberta Grundset
• Marianne Hall
• Kim Hartley
• Mariam Hayes
• Brown Justice
• Marty Kirschner
• Lynn Lawrence
• Irma Lyons
• Margaret Morris
• Betty Pitts
• Rachel Rose
• Mary Lentz Smith
• Anne Snively
• Ginny Stevens
• Mary Tarr
• Ineke Thomas
• Barbara Wright

The chairwomen of the 2011 Fashion Show & Luncheon were Janis Fite and Pat Sevier.

Editor's Note: Please see other article which features slideshows of random images from the fashion show and luncheon event.

 

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