Lisa Whelchel portrayed Blair Warner on the 1970s and 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life. Whelchel, now an author and speaker, will be in Warsaw in March.

A former TV sitcom star is the keynote speaker of the 2013 Warsaw Women’s Expo coming up in March.

The two-day unique event for women will be Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24, and features speakers, classes, exhibitors, entertainment and more.

Lisa Whelchel, who portrayed Blair Warner on The Facts of Life from 1978 to 1988 and was also a contestant on Survivor Philippines, is this year’s guest speaker for both days.

Since leaving The Facts of Life, Whelchel went on to author a number of books including “Taking Care of the Me in Mommy,” “Friendship for Grownups” and “The Busy Mom’s Guide to Wisdom.” She is also a speaker and focuses her energies on women’s issues.

Ashley Stills of Tommy Vance Productions in Warsaw is organizing the expo, to be held at the Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College in Winona Lake. “The vision for the expo is for it to be a place where women can gather together to gain knowledge, find enrichment, inspiration and encouragement,” said Stills. “Whether a woman is single or married, a career woman or stay-at-home mom, there will be something for all to benefit from.”

Over 50 exhibitors will be part of the two-day event. Women will have the opportunity to shop with exhibitors, sample foods and gather information from area businesses and organizations.

Stills said, “We are blessed to live in a thriving county and believe that it is truly important to give back. Each year we will be selecting a non-profit organization in Kosciusko County to donate a portion of the proceeds from the entrance fee. This year we have decided to choose our local United Way of Kosciusko County. Many organizations we use and rely on several times a year are supported by United Way.

The entry fee to the expo will be $10 at the door each day. The fee includes access to the expo hall, attendance to the many classes and even access to all guest speakers, including Whelchel. Due to it being a entry fee instead of a ticket, however, seating will be on a first come first serve basis.

For additional information, email [email protected].