Silver anniversary Du Quoin Youth Club charity ball March 9
The Du Quoin Youth Club charity ball celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, having raised over $60,000 in 2012, enough to back the club away from its own fiscal cliff.
The 2013 event to be held again at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall will be no less amazing.
The goal right now is to enlist core sponsors. The 2013 charity ball will be held Saturday, March 9 and it promises to be a great evening.
Committee remember Dixie Travelstead remembers how it began in 1988, a call to the newspaper trying to come up with some ideas to better monetize fundraising for the club and help in promoting the very first Sweetheart Charity Ball, which was held close to Valentine's Day in 1988. This Sweetheart Charity Ball was the first of many to be held in the gym at the Youth Club. Sponsoring the first Charity Ball were the Du Quoin State Bank, Du Quoin National Bank, and Pepsi Mid-America. Doc Holladay designed the logo and tickets, Randee and Blaine Bastien donated the printing, Du Quoin Ice donated the Ice, Rend Lake Beverage donated the beer, Pepsi donated the soft drinks, Fare Foods and Kroger donated the food items, tables and chairs were borrowed from the old Elk's Club, and the committee members spent many hours making decorations and preparing the food in Dixie's basement on Main Street. The whole thing was on a shoestring budget!
1990 introduced raffles to the Charity Ball.
1994 introduced a Silent Auction to the Charity Ball.
1997 introduced the first live auction with the donations of two autographed baseballs from the New York Yankees who were the 1996 World Series Champions.
Plans were well underway for the construction of the addition to the gymnasium. This was made possible through the continued support and growth of the Charity Ball.
In 2005 the Charity Ball outgrew the Youth Club and was moved to the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall. It has been held at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds each year since 2005.
Facts:
•The Du Quoin Youth Club has the longest history in Southern Illinois for providing the community with after-school programming and organized sports for the youth.
•The Du Quoin Youth Club has been a partner with many other organizations, providing its facilities for the Food Pantry and adult programs as well as youth programs such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, churches and currently the Du Quoin School District #300 for the new after school programming.
•The Du Quoin Youth Club receives no public or government funding and is financed solely through dues, fundraisers, donations and the annual Charity Ball.
•The Du Quoin Youth Club Charity Ball is the longest running continuous fundraising event of its kind in Southern Illinois.
•Sponsors of the Charity Ball for ALL 25 years include: The Du Quoin State Bank, Banterra Bank (formerly Du Quoin National Bank) and Pepsi Mid-America. Contributors for ALL 25 years include: Du Quoin Ice Company, Fare Foods (formerly Porter Foods), Kroger, Pepsi and the Du Quoin Evening Call.