Elks Club holds second annual toga party

WINSTED — The Winsted Elks Club 844 held its second annual toga party at its lodge on Saturday, July 27.Twenty-seven residents attended the event, with most of them wearing Greek-era togas.In historical context, togas, made out of sheets of linen or wool, were worn by the ancient Romans.In entertainment and modern pop culture context, togas made a comeback through “toga parties” held at frat houses at colleges throughout America starting in the early 1950s.They were popularized in mass modern culture thanks to the 1978 comedy “Animal House” starring the late comedian John Belushi, who did the “Bluto” while the frathouse band “Otis Day and the Knights” performed such classics as “Shout” and “Louie Louie.”The attendance for this year’s event was down from the previous year, when 45 residents showed up.However, co-organizer Melissa Kapuscinski said the event was a success because everyone who attended had fun.“When the club tried to think of something fun to do, we decided on togas because we are all too old to wear bikinis,” Kapuscinski said. “It’s not too hard to make a toga. Just take a sheet, wrap it around your body and pin it.”One of the attendees at the party was resident Sandy Nichols, who said she has never put a toga on before.“I love it because it makes me feel like a college kid,” Nichols said. “When I put on my toga, I asked my daughter-in-law whether or not I looked old. She said, ‘Are you kidding me? You don’t look old at all!’”Elks Club member Tom Matthews, dressed in an imperial toga, said he attends all of the Elks Club events.“I totally love coming here all the time,” Matthews said. “The Elks always offer a lot of stuff to do.”