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If the fashion of downtown Centralia looks a lot more 70s themed than usual Friday, Aug. 15, don’t panic. That’s just Helen Roper and her impersonators raising money for Carly’s Closet, an East Lewis County-based charity.
Sponsored by Breezy Jennings, the Helen Roper impersonators will check in at The Station Coffee House in downtown Centralia at 4 p.m., Aug. 15. There, attendees will pick up swag bags, have a photo op, get a map of places to go and buy raffle tickets and the first drink of the night. From there, the Helens will proceed throughout downtown, visiting bars and businesses until 6 p.m.
As of now, stops for the romp include The Juice Box for photos and drinks, The Tiki Tap House for pizza and Luxe Wine and Whiskey Bar with a handcrafted special drink just for the night. The Shady Lady, The Bath Depot and Grist will be open late to accommodate Mrs. Ropers as well, and are putting together a gift basket for the raffle.
Mrs. Roper impersonator events, better known as “Mrs. Roper Romps,” are a rather unusual occurrence, but not unheard of. Helen Roper, the character these events honor, is from the TV sitcom “Three’s Company” that aired on ABC, following three single roommates who live together in an apartment complex owned by Roper and her husband.
Helen and her impersonators dress in 70s style jewelry, red curly wigs and bright caftans, as her actress Audra Lindley portrayed from 1977 to 1984. Some romp attendees even carry cardboard cutouts of Helen’s husband, Stanley.
Mrs. Roper Romps began in 2013, initially as a parade in New Orleans at the LGBTQ celebration Southern Decadence, according to an article from NPR. “New Orleans is where it occurred first and then San Diego,” Jen Lewis, one of the “founding Helens” of the Ypsilanti romp, said in the article. “We just got together and made it happen here.”
Since then, Mrs. Roper Romps have spread to dozens of cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Seattle; North Little Rock, Arizona; Front Royal, Virginia; and Topeka, Kansas.
Susan Gonzales, who has been to two previous Mrs. Roper Romps, looks forward to participating in the upcoming event.
“It is such good, clean fun!” Gonzales said. “There are even a few Stanleys! As with the other events, there will be male participants who dress up as Helen, facial hair and all!”
Her first Mrs. Roper Romp was in January, and took place in Seattle. However, it was not well attended, on account of it being about 23 degrees and raining.
“It was pretty tough to be out there walking around with an airy mumu,” Gonzales said. “But we made the best of it. After about 25 people showed up for the group picture, we just wandered the area in that city block, supporting businesses by having lunch and shopping.”
One rainy event wasn’t enough to deter Gonzales. Soon after, she started looking for more romps. Having lived in South California for 30 years, she had connections to the Fourth of July Huntington Beach parade, which included a Mrs. Roper look-alike section.
“People were hooting, hollering, wolf whistling, and then yelling out lines from Three’s Company like ‘Not tonight, Stanley!’” Gonzales said. “It was a blast to be among the huge group of look-alike Helen Ropers! Some even carry signs with the picture of Stanley on them! The gatherings were an absolute hit with the crowd.”
According to Gonzales, about 170 people have pre-registered for the Romp taking place downtown. Participants already pre-registered will receive a gift bag at the event, and a picture of Mrs. Roper’s husband Stanley on a stick will be provided for every participant to wave.
Additionally, tickets purchased now will receive special offers and coupons. Tickets cost $20, and are available at shorturl.at/GYShQ.
Proceeds from this event will benefit Carly’s Closet, a local charity providing clothing and shoes to elementary schools in Lewis County. Carly’s Closet has partnered with 17 schools in and around the Lewis County area, and has donated over 2,000 articles of clothing, according to its website at shorturl.at/YF5fj.
Carly’s Closet’s vision is to reach all schools in Lewis County, ensuring that every child has access to essential clothing. “We believe that every child deserves to feel comfortable and confident in their clothes,” Carly’s Closet’s website stated. “Through our expansion efforts, we strive to help these schools create a nurturing environment and empower children to succeed academically and socially.”
The nonprofit’s namesake is Carly King, a White Pass School District graduate who died of a rare form of cancer in the summer of 2023. She was 22.
Carly’s Closet started out by donating new clothes and other needed supplies to White Pass Elementary School, where Carly attended elementary school, for school staff to give directly to students as needed.
After starting Carly’s Closet at White Pass Elementary School, Carly’s Closet organizers quickly began reaching out to other elementary schools in Lewis County to develop partnerships.
