|
|  | 
 Persephone's Masquerade: The 4th Annual OHF Spring Ball
Author: Shea Thomas [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: June 19th. 2005
Times Viewed: 11,014
Sponsored by: The Open Hearth Foundation, Inc.
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Event Date(s): Friday, May 20, 2005
Attendance: 145
Filling a 5, 000 square-foot ballroom to capacity, more than 140 Pagans came to a formal Pagan masquerade and charity gala on Friday, May 20 in Silver Spring, Maryland. In masks and amazing dress, creatures of both summer and shadow could be found dancing, dining, and generously donating in support of a great community cause.
It was called Persephone's Masquerade, and by the end of the evening, no less than $5, 000 had been raised to help create an open and dedicated Pagan community center in the Washington, DC region.
With a three-course dinner, dancing, live music, floor shows, a cash bar, auctions, raffles, and dozens of area Pagans in formal evening wear, the 2005 Ball was the largest and most successful fundraiser yet in the six-year history of The Open Hearth Foundation (OHF) - a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Pagan community center initiative serving the capital region.
  So successful, in fact, that the masquerade managed to advance the overall operating budget of the DC Pagan Community Center Project a full 20% in just one evening.
Supported by nine different organizations, countless auction and raffle donors, and an army of community-minded volunteers, Persephone's Masquerade was the 4th in a series of annual charity galas coordinated by the OHF since 2001.
And continuing a tradition of sophistication which has helped make the Spring Ball a highpoint of the local Pagan social calendar, this year's event was also held for the first time at the Silver Spring Hilton – a choice which proved as popular with the hotel as it did with the attendees, with hotel staff reportedly abuzz about all the great costumes they saw, and already asking if they could host the event again.
The OHF would like to offer heartfelt thanks to those who helped make the 2005 Spring Ball possible, including our two performance acts, who not only donated their time, but also their tremendous energy and talent to create a truly memorable evening.
Making an encore performance from last year's Ball, Gene Pool Zombie again took the stage with their unique brand of rhythm, rock, and Motown blues. Also returning from the very first Spring Ball was Martiya Possession, an avant-garde gothic bellydance ensemble that provided an amazing dinner-time floor show.
 Special thanks are also due the DC Radical Faeries, who hosted a mask-making workshop prior to the event and then donated several of these beautiful handcrafted masks back to the masquerade. Thanks also go to our cooperative event partners, Midnight at the Meeting Place, and the Chesapeake Pagan Community, who graciously offered discounts at their own events the following day to those who also attended the Spring Ball.
And a final thank-you goes to the half-dozen local groups and organizations that sponsored group tables at the masquerade and together helped make it the largest and best-attended Ball ever:- 13 Moons
- Becoming: A Sacred Gathering
- Circle of the Crystal Grove
- Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca Temple of the Sacred Arts
- The DC Radical Faeries
- Wild Honey Protogrove, ADF
Additional pictures from the Spring Ball can be found in the OHF photo gallery. For more about the next Ball as well as other community events hosted each year by The Open Hearth Foundation please see: http://www.openhearth.org.
Footnotes:
The Open Hearth Foundation, Inc. http://www.openhearth.org
Gene Pool Zombie http://www.genepoolzombie.com/
Martiya Possession http://www.martiya.net/home.html
Midnight At The Meeting Place http://www.dcmidnight.com/
Chesapeake Pagan Community http://www.chesapeakepagans.org/
13 Moons http://www.occoquan.com/shops/ShopsView.asp?ID=247
Becoming: A Sacred Gathering http://www.becomingdc.org
Circle of the Crystal Grove http://tinyurl.com/9taks
Correllian Nativist Tradition of Wicca Temple of the Sacred Arts http://www.correllianwiccasacredarts.com
The DC Radical Faeries http://www.dcradfeys.org
Wild Honey Protogrove, ADF wildehoney@gmail.com
Article Specs
Article ID: 9801
VoxAcct: 50854
Section: festivals
Age Group: Adult
Days Up: 2,896
Times Read: 11,014
RSS Views: 26,205
|
ABOUT...
Shea Thomas
Location: Boone, North Carolina
Website: http://www.openhearth.org
Author's Profile: To learn more about Shea Thomas - Click HERE
Other Articles: Shea Thomas has posted 4 additional articles- View them?
Other Listings: To view ALL of my listings: Click HERE
Email Shea Thomas... (Yes! I have opted to receive invites to Pagan events, groups, and commercial sales)
|
|
Web Site Content (including: text - graphics - html - look & feel)
Copyright 1997-2013 The Witches' Voice Inc. All rights reserved
Note: Authors & Artists retain the copyright for their work(s) on this website.
Unauthorized reproduction without prior permission is a violation of copyright laws.
Website structure, evolution and php coding by Fritz Jung on a Macintosh G5.
Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren’s Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches’ Voice, Inc. TWV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.
Sponsorship: Visit the Witches' Voice Sponsor Page for info on how you
can help support this Community Resource. Donations ARE Tax Deductible.
The Witches' Voice carries a 501(c)(3) certificate and a Federal Tax ID.
Mail Us: The Witches' Voice Inc., P.O. Box 341018, Tampa, Florida 33694-1018 U.S.A.
| |
Witches, Pagans
of The World
|
Current Topic
Editorial Guide
NOTE: The essay on this page contains the writings and opinions of the listed author(s) and is not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Witches' Voice inc.
The Witches' Voice does not verify or attest to the historical accuracy contained in the content of this essay.
All WitchVox essays contain a valid email address, feel free to send your comments, thoughts or concerns directly to the listed author(s).
|
|
