Northern Ball raises $21K for scholarships

Around $21,000 for scholarships was raised to bring and keep students to Montana State University-Northern at the We Love Northern Ball Saturday.

Jim Bennett, director of Northern's Alumni Association, said the ball was a success.

"We were hoping to break $20,000 for scholarships, so we did pretty good there," Bennett said. "I think it was a big success, and I think a lot of that is because we got great support from folks on the ball committee, faculty and staff and people in the community."

The theme of the ball this year was "the roaring '20s," and many attendees dressed the part. A chandelier and gossamer were strung from the Armory Gymnasium to transform it into a club from the 1920s.

There were many students volunteers from the Student Ambassadors, Student Senate and others. The MSU-Northern Dance Club danced the Lindy Hop and Rachel Dean and Angela Pratt performed a number from "Chicago."

Blind Luck played live music and Bennett said people enjoyed getting out on the dance floor to their songs.

"There's a lot of different groups that helped make it a really great night," Bennett said.

The event was totally sold out around a week before. More than 300 tickets were sold.

"We sold more tickets this year than we did last year," Bennett said.

He said they were shooting for selling 230 and raised that bar once they met it, and then continued raising it until they hit maximum capacity.

"A lot of people had a positive experience," he said. "I think that, overall, we accomplished the things we wanted to accomplish."

Also at the ball, live and silent auctions were held, as well as various games for attendees to play and a photo booth.

Bennett said that what is most important about an event like this is making sure they show guests a good time.

"I think we did that," he said