When most of us hear the phrase ‘Veiled Prophet,’ we immediately think of the ball, a glittering gala at which accomplished young women in satin gowns curtsy before a mythical monarch. Or we think of fun-filled events like the VP Parade and Fair St. Louis (scheduled to take place in Forest Park this year). But the Veiled Prophet organization, established in 1878, actually began as a group of local business leaders who wanted to stimulate regional economic growth, promote tourism and enrich the lives of all who call St. Louis home.
“Over the years, their mission expanded,” explains VP spokesperson Thomas Cooke. Today, the VP Foundation, the organization’s philanthropic arm, generates funding and volunteer support for a broad range of projects and activities designed to improve the quality of life for everyone in the city. “The illumination of Eads Bridge and, in collaboration with others, the construction of the Grand Staircase under the Arch, are just two examples of this effort,” he says.
About a decade ago, the VP Foundation launched a community service initiative that includes the Maids of Honor Program. “For several years before the ball, the young women chosen as VP maids volunteer with area nonprofits, collectively spending thousands of hours doing hands-on work that makes our community a better place,” Cooke says. Working alongside their fathers and other family members, they visit children’s hospitals, paint walls and fences at public schools, do home improvements for low-income families, assist at food pantries, plant flowers and bulbs downtown, and clean up yards, parks and playgrounds around town. “The program enables these young women to meet people beyond their immediate circle, continue the tradition of community service they learned from their families, and prepare for future leadership roles.”
Based on the success of the maids program, the VP Foundation is once again expanding its mission. “A survey of our members showed an across-the-board commitment to become even more involved in community service, with an eye toward major projects, events and gifts that have a lasting impact on the city,” Cooke says. “Our unique core strengths—such as expertise in mobilizing and managing thousands of volunteers on short notice, and accessing corporate, civic and political leaders for guidance and support—makes the Foundation a valuable resource for years to come.”
Among the Foundation’s first projects is the Fallen Officer Memorial at the new St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, a tribute to police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. The memorial, designed, built and maintained in conjunction with the Fair St. Louis Foundation, includes photos of and touch screen presentations about each officer. It’s scheduled to open in April.
“As always with the Foundation, there’s more involved than merely giving money,” Cooke notes. “It’s about acting as a catalyst and providing guidance and leadership to initiatives that make a substantial contribution to our community. And it’s about fulfilling the promise made by our founders 136 years ago: to enrich the lives of all who call St. Louis home.”
Photo by The VP Foundation
Pictured: Artist’s rendering of the Fallen Officer Memorial, scheduled to to open in April 2014
[2013 VP Queen of Love and Beauty Katherine Falk Desloge was crowned in a ceremony Dec. 21. Seventy-six other young women participated in the 129th Veiled Prophet Ball.]
