Tickets to the 70th annual Junior Auxiliary of Columbus Charity Ball will be available for purchase Thursday evening, Feb. 20. Patron Ticket Night sales will be from 6-7 p.m. at the JA Hut at 1000 Park Circle, next to Lee Park.
The Charity Ball on Saturday, March 28 begins at 7 p.m. at Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus. The evening will include presentation of this year’s Charity Ball king and queen at 8 p.m., introduction of the royal court, a performance by West Lowndes High School Marching Band under the direction of Marcus Wright, plus live entertainment by The Party Jammers, a 10-piece show band from Memphis, Tennessee. The traditional royalty breakfast will begin at 9:30 p.m.
According to JA Ticket Chair Mary Tana Garner, ballroom seat location selections may be made during ticket night at the JA Hut Thursday evening.
Balcony and royalty breakfast tickets will also be sold at the Trotter Convention Center ticket office from 6-8 p.m. on March 25-27, and from 7-7:45 p.m. on March 28. Patron ballroom tickets are $45. Balcony tickets are $25; breakfast tickets are $25. Tickets will be required for admission to the Charity Ball.
Community involvement
“Up and Away with JA” is the theme of the 2020 ball as the Columbus chapter celebrates its mission of serving the children of Lowndes County. Founded in 1943, the chapter strives year-round to fulfill the national slogan of Junior Auxiliaries — “Care Today, Character Tomorrow.”
“Charity Ball is such an important event for our chapter because it, along with Report to the Community advertisement sales, is our sole fundraiser for the year,” said Charity Ball Chair Sally Earwood. “With the support of local businesses, sponsors and patrons, we are able to fully fund all of our community projects. The night also gives us an opportunity to celebrate our organization’s rich heritage and to highlight current projects that serve the children of our community.”
JA of Columbus President Bethany Bustamante added, “The success of our annual ball depends largely on our community’s participation. Without our community’s involvement, we would not only be limited in our resources to host an event of this magnitude, but also limited in our resources in meeting the needs of the children within the community.”
Bustamente said the yearly ball encompasses an atmosphere of people coming together to be part of something larger than themselves, noting that every sponsor ad and every ticket purchased supports a service project that reaches children.
“Indeed, (the ball) is a night of celebration — celebrating hope, opportunity and progress,” said Bustamente.
Tax-deductible donations to the nonprofit organization may be mailed to Junior Auxiliary of Columbus, Attention: Treasurer, P.O. Box 11, Columbus MS 39703.
For more information about the ball or to purchase tickets, contact Garner at 662-327-6010.
Sponsor support
Corporate sponsors play a significant role in the work of JA of Columbus.
“It is through their generosity that we are empowered to provide 10 projects to the well-deserving children of Lowndes County ranging from scholarship funds to meeting the basic human needs of food and clothing,” said Bustamente. … From our chapter and the children of Lowndes County, we thank you!”
Sponsors for 2020 are:
Majestic Level: Columbus Recycling
Gold Level: Westlake Chemical; Golden Triangle Radiology
Silver Level: Baptist Memorial Hospital; Financial Concepts; Quality Beverage Packing Inc; The Sqwincher Corporation; Steel Dynamics Flat Roll Group, Columbus Division
Bronze Level: Atmos Energy; BancorpSouth; BankFirst; BankTEL Systems; Bennett Opthalmology Group; Bill Russell Ford Lincoln; The Commercial Dispatch; Eat With Us Group; Galloway, Chandler, McKinney; The Gene Imes Family; International Paper; Johnston-Tombigbee Furniture Manufacturing Co.; Katherine Kerby, Esq.; Mississippi Steel Processing; Dr. Steve and Dona Porter; RAM Entertainment and Special Event Services; RJ Young Co.; Waters Truck and Tracker Co./Waters International Trucks Inc./Waters Wrecker Services.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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