Mayor's Ball helps food bank

Folks in Sisters gathered at The Belfry on Saturday in their best evening clothes (and variations thereof) to dance the night away at the first Sisters Mayor's Ball.

Some were red carpet-worthy, while others had a little fun with the fancy dress. Jerry Norquist showed up in a tuxedo - or rather half a tuxedo. The bottom half was shorts.

"It was really fun to see the way people dressed," said event organizer Karen Kassy.

Norquist had a good time.

"The Mayor's Ball was a big success, it had community support, good food and The Belfry was the perfect venue," he said. "The event raised money for an important cause, and hopefully it will double in size for 2014."

Dancers whirled across the floor to the music of Haywire and enjoyed food donated by a variety of Sisters dining establishments and markets.

"Several people remarked that the Mayor's Ball was like a 'Taste of Sisters' because there was so much excellent food contributed from many of our local Sisters restaurants," said Kassy.

While serious fun was part of the purpose of the event, the fun was also serious: The goal was to raise funds for the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank.

Mayor Brad Boyd reported that the event raised a total of $2,700 for the establishment, which will be moving into its new headquarters on Main Avenue at the end of the month.

"This will really help them out, so we're grateful," Kassy said.

One of the purposes of the event was to bring together a cross-section of the Sisters community - people that might not ordinarily run in the same circles. That goal, too, was met.

Boyd reported 95 tickets sold, with about 75 folks turning out.

"For a first-year event, I'm very pleased," he said. He noted that in future events, he hopes to see more people turn out - especially more young people.

"I hope there's a positive buzz about it," he said.

There certainly was a positive buzz from the beneficiary.

"The Sisters Kiwanis Club is very grateful it was selected as the first recipient of the proceeds from the first annual Mayor's Ball, an event put together by our community to celebrate our support for one another and to help those in need here," Dave Huni of the Sisters Kiwanis Club stated. "One hundred percent of the ($2,700) raised will go directly to purchase food for needy families in the Sisters area. While the Kiwanis Club has administered the food bank since 1985, the food bank also needs community support and volunteers to meet its important mission. This support is illustrated by all those generous community members who purchased tickets for the 2013 Mayor's Ball."

In 2012, the food bank served an average of over 100 families each month, comprised of an average just under 200 adults and about 100 children family members. An average of 30 Kiwanis and community volunteers donated over 2,000 hours of their time to make the food bank work. An estimated $157,000 of food stuffs were distributed in 2012. In addition, the Food Bank administers the Christmas Food Share program which provides families in need with the means to enjoy a traditional holiday meal.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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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