Alton Culture Club received three awards this year that were presented recently at the Missouri State Convention of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) held in Cape Girardeau, shared club President Laurel Johnson.
The local GFWC club was awarded first place in the category of Arts and Culture for its sponsorship of the annual Christmas festivities in Alton. Committee members who selected Alton as the winner said they were especially impressed by the longevity of the Christmas parade and Mr. and Miss Merry Christmas events.
“This award represents almost 60 years of planning and executing the annual Christmas events and really goes to all the women since the club’s founding in 1968, who have been members and helped make sure that Alton had an annual Christmas celebration,” said Johnson. “All of our current members are proud to be part of this heritage.”
The club received fourth place in the category of Education and Libraries for its Summer Book Walk on Court Square in Alton. Children and families are able to read pages from a book posted in various store and business windows as they walk around the square. Posters have thought-provoking questions about the book for everyone to discuss. The club has sponsored the book walk for two years and continues the tradition this summer with Chana Stiefel’s “Awe! It’s Everywhere!”
A third award was given for the club’s participation in the Missouri GFWC 2026 Signature Project: Domestic & Sexual Violence Awareness & Prevention. Several members were active in planning for and helping with “In Her Shoes,” a simulation project of Selah Place held in October 2025 in Thayer. Alton Culture Club also makes an annual donation to Selah Place, the local shelter for survivors of domestic violence.
