By Jan Ehlert
BATTLE MOUNTAIN - The Xi Alpha Phi Sorority group held their 3rd Annual Witches Ball on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Battle Mountain Civic Center. The group sold approximately 150 tickets to the ball. There was plenty of free food and a bar where guests could purchase alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Guests could get their pictures taken and everyone received a ticket for one free witches brew beverage.
Every year the sorority takes the profits it makes and helps needy families during the holidays. With the proceeds from last year's ball the sorority donated to the following: Thanksgiving baskets for needy families; Christmas Alert; Christmas gifts to low-income families; senior nursing home Christmas gifts; Save the TaTa's fund; Battle Mountain Easter egg hunt; St. John Bosco Catholic Church; Endowment Fund; Breast Cancer Awareness; and donations to two families whom lost loved ones.
The group once again outdid themselves and hosted a terrific ball for those age 21 and over that like to celebrate Halloween. The sorority raffled off gift baskets every hour. There was a howling contest, best dressed man costume, best dressed woman costume and best dressed couple.
Things really got rolling when Carda Burton announced for people to participate in the howling contest. At first nobody wanted to, but then one came up and all of a sudden the Battle Mountain howlers were up front with the microphone howling their hearts out. The hunter and the Viking man gave it their best, the big bad wolf and a couple others tried, but after that it was a tight race between "The Situation" and the "Banana" man. With the crowd applause as the judge, the "Banana" man won.
A "Mystery Masquerade Bride" won for best woman costume, Peter "Rottontail" won for best man costume and Darth Vader and Princess Leia won the couples costume. There were gobs of great costumes, including pirates, celebrities, Renaissance people, Smurfs, witches, gangsters, ghost busters, inmates, flappers, animals, hippies, phantoms, ghouls and more. All night long the dance floor was filled with a great cast of characters dancing to music put forth by DJ Tracy Krentz.
The great hostesses responsible for the success of the witches ball are Xi Alpha Phi Sorority members Keesha Avertte, Dannette Walters, Reita Newgard, Carda Burton, Alicia Price, Darcy Drown, Melissa Bakker, Anita Newgard, Bonny Shultz and Brenda Keller. They do a great job keeping guests happy throughout the evening and they do an even better job spreading their proceeds to so many different causes during the holidays. All of the guests that attended the annual witches ball actually contributed to the local families in need during the holidays through supporting the Xi Alpha Phi Sorority and their work organizing this Halloween event.
[[In-content Ad]]
