LIFESTYLE

Hats On to the Chair

Staff Writer

Columbus Monthly

Cindy Rasmussen has lived in a handful of beautiful locales-California, Colorado, Iowa. But when she moved to Central Ohio, she discovered a place unlike any she had seen: the Franklin Park Conservatory.

"I was quite taken by the beauty," said Rasmussen, the 57-year-old wife of Nationwide CEO Steve Rasmussen and mother to three grown sons and a daughter-in-law. Now she's chairing Hat Day, the swanky annual luncheon and fashion show that in 10 years has raised $1.6 million for the Conservatory's educational programs.

The May 7 event-which typically sells out to 600 guests-is a great way to celebrate community leaders, Rasmussen said. Plus, it's just a good bit of fun. "How wonderful is it to put a hat on," she said, "and enjoy lunch with your girlfriends in a garden!"