SEARCY — The Junior Auxiliary of Searcy will hold its annual charity ball at 7 p.m. April 14 at the Searcy Country Club.
The theme of the event is The Roaring 20s; those planning to attend are encouraged to dress accordingly. The event is open to members of the community who are 21 and older.
Tickets to the charity ball are $65 per person or $120 per couple and can be purchased from any JA member or by calling (501) 254-9181, emailing juniorauxiliarysearcyar@gmail.com or visiting Facebook. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Tables for six to eight people may be available by making an advance reservation.
The fundraising event will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, dancing to music provided by a disc jockey from Crown Entertainment of Cabot, a silent auction and a live auction with Rodger Cargile of Searcy serving as the auctioneer. A cash bar will be available.
“All proceeds of our charity ball go to support our many projects that benefit the children of White County,” said Natalie Horton, president. “We especially support The Sunshine School, which was sponsored by the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy when [the school] first opened.” The Sunshine School serves students of all ages with developmental disabilities.
“Anything they ask, we try to do. This year, we are honoring Mary-Lou Dunn, executive director of The Sunshine School who is retiring, as our Charity Ball Queen. The Sunshine School has always been near and dear to the heart of our service projects, and we wanted to do something to recognize the years she has devoted to leading this school and the impact she has had on the students, teachers and our entire community.”
The Junior Auxiliary of Searcy hosts birthday parties for clients at The Sunshine School, as well as a Halloween party and an Easter egg hunt. The organization also helps with the school’s summer camp, providing arts-and-crafts activities.
Other projects sponsored by the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy include the following:
• Covering Kids provides underwear for children attending A Day of Caring, which is a medical mission hosted by Unity Health. JA members also help provide lunches that day.
• The Food Basket Project for Thanksgiving offers food to needy families.
Carolyn Nunnally, vice president, said the nonprofit organization partners with the Searcy School District, which holds a canned food drive. JA members collect, then sort and pack the canned food items and prepare boxes of food that are distributed to those in need.
“We served about 350 families this past year,” Nunnally said.
• The Angel Tree program supplies gifts for children during the Christmas season.
“We place the trees in local businesses and decorate them with the ‘angels’ that list what each child may need,” said Meredith Law, JA member. “Members of the community adopt an ‘angel’ from the tree and fulfill the request. We provided for more than 250 children last year.”
She said the organization provides gifts for those angels who are not adopted.
• The Searcy Learning Center is operated by the Searcy School District for students with behavioral problems.
“We provide birthday parties for the students and snacks for the students’ weekly reward days,” said Megan White, JA member.
The Junior Auxiliary of Searcy also awards two scholarships to college-bound seniors who are involved in community service.
“We provide one to a boy and one to a girl,” Law said. “Each one is for $1,500.”
JA members are still collecting auction items for the charity ball. Among the items already donated for the event are photography packages; gift baskets; a “date night” package for a year, featuring gift certificates to various restaurants; tickets to sports events such as the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Arkansas Travelers baseball games; and a trip to Branson, Missouri.
Sponsorships are also still available. Businesses interested in supporting the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy by sponsoring or donating an item may call (501) 254-9181 or email juniorauxiliarysearcyar@gmail.com.
Those who are unable attend the charity ball but want to support the JA’s projects may send a donation to Junior Auxiliary of Searcy, P.O. Box 156, Searcy, AR 72143.
The Junior Auxiliary of Searcy received its charter in the early 1960s from the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries Inc. Horton said the local chapter has 22 active members who are involved in community-service projects.
“Our focus is on children,” Horton said.