Laing House ball celebrates 13th year
Posted Oct 26, 2019 01:56:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The largest fundraiser for Laing House is set to delight youth, sponsors and eventgoers in its 13th year tonight.
“The Masquerade Ball is the largest fundraiser for Laing House. It was started by Linda Black. She was the first chair and the Black Family has continued to support us. It has been completely volunteer-driven over the years and remains so today,” said executive director Jane Machum.
The Laing House is an organization that is fully dedicated to helping youth who struggle with mental illness.
“Laing House is a place where youth can embrace their unique gifts and find their way in a caring and supportive environment with no judgement.”
“We work to keep the community feel of the event and keep it accessible to everyone. It is not a corporate dinner but a fun evening where we come together and support the youth in our community,” she said.
The theme this year should make for an incredibly interesting evening.
“We are always looking for different themes to keep the event interesting and fun. We have a great framework for how the event is run but having a different theme keeps it engaging,” she said.
“The Venezia theme was inspired by films and travels to Italy. We wanted to capture the feeling of old-world Venice, the couture and the glamour with a modern twist.”
Laing House works in Halifax, Sackville and Yarmouth, and works to ensure they give proper supports and wellness plans for youth.
“At the end of the day, mental health affects us all and we want our future generations to thrive, to find a place in our community and be able to contribute to their community. Isn’t that what we all want to be able to do,” he said.
The Masquerade Ball is a chance for people to come together and raise funds for programs and services at Laing House.
“This event also provides us with an opportunity to highlight mental illness and how it is affecting youth. We need to break the silence on mental illness and recognize that we are all affected by it,” she said.
“This year, we expect to have 550 attendees and we expect it to be another successful fundraiser. This year will mark over $2 million dollars raised for Laing House. Thanks to all the support of guests and sponsors. We have no doubt people will have fun and of course there will be dancing.”
Seeing the community come out each year, enjoy themselves and support Laing House is huge for Machum.
“Community is everything. Without our community of volunteers, our attendees, our partners, we would not have this event. Laing House is about community and we try to keep this fundraiser in the same tone,” she said.
“We have individuals buying their own tickets and not just corporations. We have long-time friends of Laing House supporting us and every year we have new supporters join us. We are all about community which is why this event is so unique.”
Machum hopes all who come to the Masquerade Ball have a great time, and wants everyone to support Laing House. She says it’s incredibly important for the organization.
“We have said the Masquerade Ball is the event of the year. And it really is. People in the community look forward to this event and we are so grateful for the support. It is fun and it celebrates Laing House, youth and our community,” she said.
“Remember, if you can’t make it this year, mark your calendars for next year. We promise you come once, you will want to come again.”
