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12 | NOV. 15 — NOV.28,2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
SPECIAL
Some of the founders of the Sandy Springs Society gathered for
a group photo several years ago. Pictured are: seated, left to
right — Marianne Lee, Saralyn Oberdorfer, Ann Chenault, Jan
Collins; standing, left to right — Lorellee Wolters, Dottie Megel-
Sabre, Kerry Gill, Jill Wolfe, Judy Marks, Melanie Smith.
Sandy Springs Society members
reflect on 25 years
BY DAN WHISHT
danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net
Jan Collins says the Sandy Springs
Society began as a way to help historic
preservation efforts, but quickly turned
into one of the community’s leading
charitable organizations.
Over the last 25 years, the society
has raised and contributed $2.5 million
to local causes. One of their more high
-profile fundraising initiatives was plac
ing turtle statues throughout the city.
The society has contributed to local arts,
parks and schools.
The official 25th anniversary of the
society is in January.
“We hold fundraisers throughout the
year and then we donate,” society Pub
lic Relations Chairwoman Julie Johnson
said. “We have people apply for grants
and we have a group that vets those.”
The $2.5 million figure might seem
paltry compared with the donations of
some other charities, but the society is
an all-volunteer group of women. “Ev
erything that we make is given back to
the community,” Collins said.
Collins, who is the mother of Sandy
Springs Councilman Chip Collins, was
one of the group’s founding members.
The group organized in 1988 and settled
on a 100-member limit, all women. The
group took in members by invitation
only. It still is all women and invita
tion only, though the membership ranks
have grown to more than 300 members
to meet the community’s needs.
“We were looking for community
leaders, people who had a proven track
record of interest in the community and
leadership,” Collins said. “We had 109
people that wanted to join. That took
care of it.”
Society President Kate Dalba said the
group still gives 35 percent of its pro
ceeds to Heritage Sandy Springs.
“We branched out and felt like we re
ally wanted to provide for those in need
in Sandy Springs,” Dalba said.
Dalba said in some respects the
growth was unavoidable. Many of the
group’s members were married to local
doctors, she said.
“Northside Hospital’s foundation
was the first big supporter of our foun
dation. We had so many physicians’
wives, and that gave us a real foot in the
door,” Dalba said. “That’s been a great
relationship.”
City Councilwoman Karen Meinzen
McEnerny, who is returning to private
life at the end of this year, joined the so
ciety in 2009.
McEnerny said the society’s im
pact has been more than philanthrop
ic. Having so many influential women
working together helped shape the com
munity, even before Sandy Springs was
officially a city, she said.
“We created a sense of place, a sense
of community,” McEnerny said.
Dalba said one of the society’s goals
for its 25th year is to remind people
about the nonprofit’s presence in the
community.
“My biggest push this year is to get
the area to know about our organiza
tion,” Dalba said. “With 306 members
at the moment, we do quite a bit to help
Sandy Springs.”
