Wednesday, February 18, 2004
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Wednesday, February 18, 2004 |
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Birthday ball is approaching The year was 1934 and 4,376 communities joined together in 600 separate celebrations to raise over $1 million for the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation with nationwide Presidential Birthday Balls in honor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They were the first of what would be 11 consecutive years of birthday balls prior to FDR's death in 1945. Seventy years later, the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation still honors the tradition of the birthday balls with a yearly fundraising gala of its own known as the Georgia Hall Society Ball. This year's 16th annual black-tie affair will take place at historic Georgia Hall in Warm Springs Feb. 28, with the theme "A French Quarter Fantasy." LaGrange College President Stuart Gulley and his wife Kathleen will serve as co-chairmen for this blend of New Orleans style and Mardi Gras pizzazz, with approximately 350 invited guests expected for what has become a highlight of the West Central Georgia social calendar. Early in the evening, the Doug Keyes Band will set the mood while guests socialize and peruse the large array of silent auction items. Dinner will follow with the special cuisine that only New Orleans has to offer, as well as a desert and coffee bar second to none. Following dinner, a live auction will generate more excitement and the dance band, The Swingin' Medallions, will add gusto to the evening's final hours. For the second straight year, James Mitcham, owner of Pine Mountain's Designs of the Garden, will handle decorations for the evening and Donna Jacobs of Rental Service Company of Columbus will coordinate the festivities. Ursula Huggins a well-known caterer from Auburn, Ala., will provide the culinary delights and what promises to be an unforgettable dining experience. Approximately 30 Roosevelt Institute staff and community volunteers will again work the event. In addition, the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity of Columbus State University will handle valet parking and bartending duties for the 12th straight year in addition to assisting the Institute Maintenance and Grounds Departments with setup and breakdown. For information on the GHS Ball or to request an invitation, call 706-655-5666. Auction items are still being solicited and donations to the auction can be made by calling 706-655-5670. As always, proceeds from ticket, corporate and auction sales go to benefit programs and services at the Roosevelt Institute, now in its 77th year of serving the rehabilitation needs of Georgia.
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