News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
As the new Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank nears completion, a new event is being launched to help stock it up. The first Sisters fundraising Mayor's Ball is set for Saturday, September 21.
Many cities have a mayor's ball benefiting local charities. Sisters Mayor Brad Boyd and event organizer Karen Kassy hit upon the idea after seeing an advertisement for a mayor's ball in McMinnville.
Both Boyd and Kassy emphasized that this is not an exclusive event -quite the opposite. Admission will be on a sliding scale from $15 to $50 so that people can pay what they can afford. There will be additional opportunities to make donations to the food bank. All proceeds from the event go to the charity.
"We hope people will pay what feels right to them," Kassy said.
Boyd hopes that the evening will be a community-building event as well as a successful fundraiser.
"Hopefully there'll be a good cross-section of town and they'll meet new people," he said.
Boyd and Kassy have booked the band Haywire for the event (the band also waived a portion of their fee), and Kassy has secured food donations from Melvin's Fir Street Market and Rancho Viejo Restaurant. More donations of prepared food are needed.
Folks are invited to dress fancy if the fancy takes them but the spirit of the event is lighthearted. Boyd says the event will be "a fun, happy event - not stuffy or formal."
While the event is geared toward fun, the purpose is serious. Last year, every month the Food Bank provided food to an average of 105 families, totaling 197 adults and 104 children.
"I hope it becomes a tradition that offers our citizens a fun night out that is an important opportunity to help a local charity," Kassy said. "The money and donations stay right here in Sisters, helping those in our community who are in need."
The ball is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, at The Belfry, 302 E. Main Ave. Limited tickets available only at Eurosports in Sisters. For information call Kassy at 541-388-3987 or visit www.sistersmayorsball.com.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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