Get creative and get to the Red Ball March 8 at Tippecanoe Country Club.
The annual fundraiser, which provides about 40 percent of the annual budget for the Kosciusko Chapter of the American Red Cross, will kick off with a 6:30 p.m. cocktail hour and a 7:30 p.m. dinner.This year's theme is "You've Been Drafted" to reflect the help the Red Cross will give many families who are affected by the local National Guard unit's deployment to Iraq. Attendees are encouraged to get creative with their attire for the event - camouflage, army fatigues, patriotic clothing and military-themed costumes all will fit right in at this year's fundraiser. Local singing group The Classics will provide entertainment for the evening, which will be reminiscent of a U.S.O. show/canteen.
Silent and live auctions also will be held during the Red Ball. All funds raised at the Red Ball stay local and are used to serve local people in need.
Bidding is sure to be lively on one live auction item - a set of four tickets for Indianapolis Colts' game against their AFC rival the New England Patriots. The football-weekend package includes a two-night hotel accommodations in Indianapolis as well as four tickets in a suite at the new Lucas Oil Stadium.
Another item included in the live auction will be a cooking lesson and dinner for four to five couples at Cerulean. Chef Caleb France will give a cooking lesson, and then the meal will be served to the couples at Cerulean.
An item that surely will be popular in the silent auction is a Fourth of July weekend in Chicago. The two-night stay at the Swiss Hotel by Navy Pier includes meals. If the Fourth of July weekend does not fit in the winning bidders' schedule, another weekend may be chosen instead.
Other silent auction items will include binoculars with a digital camera, as well as items from Skyline Builders, the Kosciusko County YMCA, Bowers Jewelers and Art and Soul.
Local Red Cross Executive Director Larry Peppel said flooding, as well as the tornado in Nappanee in October, have kept volunteers and staff at the local chapter busy lately. He also expects an increase in requests for aid from military families affected by the deployment of the local National Guard unit to Iraq, as well as the usual requests for help after fire and other disasters in the upcoming year.
Co-chairs for the Red Ball event are Dr. Larry and Fran Allen, David and Cheryl Blakemore, Dr. Dean and Carol Lyn Jansen, and Cody Silva and Katherine Kubacki.
Tickets for the dinner may be obtained by calling Cheryl Blakemore at 574-551-7974. Those seeking more information also may call Blakemore.
