Every so often, a girl looks in her closet and sees a dusty and unused wedding dress or grad dress, while men might long for an excuse to wear their best suit or a tuxedo for a night on the town.
The organizers of Rock the Dress Valentine’s Benefit Gala are hoping to give adults a chance to indulge those desires while giving back to a good cause in supporting the Pink Heart Campaign.
“The idea’s been in the works for a couple of years,” said Lise DeMoissac, one of the organizers for the Feb. 9 event to be held at the Recreation Centre. “I think every girl wants to wear their grad dress or their wedding dress again.”
When the Oct. 25 Racette School crash occurred, DeMoissac and her friends felt like the community gave “amazing” support to those affected. The Rock the Dress idea came to them as a perfect way to give back to the community and to the Pink Heart Campaign, which is raising funds to support the three families who were most impacted by the crash.
“What a nice way to treat everyone to a fun evening out, something that’s a little more high class, something that’s fun to do with your friends, with your husband or your boyfriend,” she said.
The night gets underway with cocktails at 8 p.m., with the program running from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. It will feature live entertainment, a deejay, dancing, a cash bar and dessert bar, and a midnight lunch. There will be door prizes and auction items as well, with DeMoissac noting there are some “awesome auction items,” including a guided fishing trip and a couples’ vacation. Proceeds from the night’s 50/50 draw will go towards the Stollery’s Children Hospital, while all the rest of the event’s proceeds will go to the Pink Heart Campaign.
While the event was originally centred around Valentine’s Day, several single females wanted to come alone or with their girlfriends, and DeMoissac noted that anyone over the age of 18 was welcome to attend. However, that said, she notes her own husband and his friends are “super excited” to come out for the night.
“Surprisingly, we’ve had quite a few guys who are even more excited than their wives to wear their suits and get all dressed up,” she said. Mercer Photography will be at the event to get pictures of those arriving; during the night, people can also get photos taken at Mercer Photography’s photo booth.
Tickets are $30 each, or $225 for a table of eight. Ticket sales will only take place until Jan. 25, and are available by calling Leslie at 780-645-4058, Roseann at 780-614-5892 or Lise at 780-645-5833. Organizers will also be at the Co-op Mall on Jan. 10 and 17 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. selling tickets.
DeMoissac is looking forward to the night out, and encourages people to pick up tickets, saying, “It’s going to be super fun. We have lots of awesome things planned, and it’s for a good cause.”
For more information, people can check out the Rock the Dress Valentine’s Benefit Gala Facebook page.
