By OBSERVER Newsroom

The debutantes and their mothers are shown, left to right, Skylar Fitt and Nicole Fitt; Madelyn McFall and Erica McFall; Jaya Wartson and Makicha Wartson; Alyssa Dillingham and Betty Boone; Aniyah DuBose and Tysheya DuBose; Nariah Martin and Linda Martin; Anissa Faust and Andrea Faust; and Mia Williams and Lucy Ortiz. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER
The debutantes and their mothers are shown, left to right, Skylar Fitt and Nicole Fitt; Madelyn McFall and Erica McFall; Jaya Wartson and Makicha Wartson; Alyssa Dillingham and Betty Boone; Aniyah DuBose and Tysheya DuBose; Nariah Martin and Linda Martin; Anissa Faust and Andrea Faust; and Mia Williams and Lucy Ortiz. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER

A week before the 57th Annual Debutante Ball, the 2023 debutante class gathered to express gratitude to their dear mothers.  Providing a procession of lovely presentations, the young ladies stood one by one to publicly acknowledge the loving care, support and encouragement they have received all of their lives.

Held  Sunday, October 15 at the Arden Hills Club, the Mother Daughter Luncheon also served as a wonderful opportunity to highlight the 30 or more community service hours completed by each of ten prospective debutantes.  The combined 300 plus hours benefited dozens of local schools, libraries and nonprofits, primarily in the greater Sacramento area and exposed the young ladies to a wide variety of careers, work settings, and important societal issues.

The Eta Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, host of the Annual Debutante Ball, prioritizes personal development, familial closeness, and community service throughout each season.  As shared by Mother Daughter Luncheon co-chairs, Melody Smith-Williams and Charlene Graham, “the luncheon represents a beautiful moment of fellowship between the mothers and daughters before the Prospective Debutantes are formally presented to our community.”

Eta Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Chapter President Carrie Malenab (standing center), 57th Annual Debutante Ball Chair Juanita Reynolds (right of center), Mother Daughter Luncheon Co-Chairs Charlene Graham (seated fourth from the left) and Melody Smith Williams (seated fifth from the left); and a host of Ball Committee members are shown during the luncheon. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER
Eta Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Chapter President Carrie Malenab (standing center), 57th Annual Debutante Ball Chair Juanita Reynolds (right of center), Mother Daughter Luncheon Co-Chairs Charlene Graham (seated fourth from the left) and Melody Smith Williams (seated fifth from the left); and a host of Ball Committee members are shown during the luncheon. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER

The 2023 prospective debutantes are: Alyssa Janelle Dillingham, American River College; Jordan Brianna Dillingham, Inderkum High School; Aniyah La’Erika MeéChe DuBose, Rex and Margaret Fortune Early College High School; Anissa Grace Faust, The Cotton Wood Charter Schools; Skylar Maidu Fitt, John F. Kennedy High School; Nariah Alexandria Martin, Rex and Margaret Fortune Early College High School; Madelyn Jonee McFall, John F. Kennedy High School; Arianna Renee Wambui Mumbi, Pleasant Grove High School; Jaya Micha Wartson, Dixon High School; and Mia Soleil Williams, C.K. McClatchy High School.

The ball is a major scholarship fundraiser for the chapter, contributing to the funding of over $500,000 in local scholarships since its 1962 inception.