Annual Ballantyne Ball Helping Lots Of Charlotte Charities
When I first started on-air in radio in Columbia, S.C., I was working for a top 40 station. We would often host and attend galas and balls. Getting all dressed up once in a while is so much fun! If you enjoy dressing up and helping folks, then this year’s Ballantyne Ball may be an event you need to attend. And this event is a bit different from other galas and balls because there’s some mystery involved.
The first ball was in 2015, and annually this Valentine’s weekend ball is at The Ballantyne Hotel. The cool thing about this event is that it’s a masquerade ball! Each year a different local charity is chosen, and the charity is ‘unmasked’ during the Valentine’s weekend ball. How awesome is that?! This ball has helped The Isabella Santos Foundation, The Relatives, Madelyn’s Fund, and Lily Pad Haven, just to name a few.
Now, I have someone that’s ‘in’ on the planning of the event. This year’s event is recognizing HopeWay. They are focused on helping adolescents struggling with addiction and mental health. This is such a worthy cause as both are big concerns. Helping those in our community with a night of fun is so worth it.
Valentine’s Day Fun And Funding
If you and your significant other are planning to go out for Valentine’s Day, why not buy tickets to the ball! You can have an amazing night out, while you’re helping to raise funds for HopeWay. You can dress up and do something good!
Anxiety and depression began for me in the 80’s. I was 16 years old and it wasn’t something you talked about to anyone. Not parents or friends. Because I didn’t know how to deal with it, I developed other issues. I was anorexia when I was 17, and I began drinking heavily at a young age. My wakeup call almost didn’t happen as I overdosed at 19. Luckily, my roomie found me in time, and I made it. Unfortunately, many kids do not.
Mental illness and issues as well as addiction needs to be something addressed in our communities. The stigma needs to go away. Many times, anxiety and depression and substance abuse go hand in hand. HopeWay is expanding and they will be offering mental health treatment for middle school and high school students. In addition, they’ll offer eating disorder treatment for teens and young adults. HopeWay also offers treatment for Veterans with PTSD, and for adults as well.
Give back while attending a festive masquerade ball for Valentine’s Day weekend. The ball is Saturday, February 10, at The Ballantyne Hotel. There are still some tickets available that you can purchase here.