Black & White Gala May 2

Are you ready for the dance party of the year?

The YWCA of Asheville’s 8th annual Black & White Gala will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 6:30 pm, at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. The Black & White Gala will feature high energy music by Westsound and a silent auction. Food and beverages will be provided by Mayfels, Frankie Bones, Westville Pub, Strada, Old Europe, Tupelo Honey, Crowne Plaza, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Corner Kitchen, Sunny Point, Mela, Empire Distributing, Earth Fare, and Sierra Nevada. Tickets for this fundraising event are $50 per person.

Festive black and white attire is encouraged – you can be as funky or as formal as you want.

The Gala is the wrap up party for the Stand Against Racism. The YWCA Stand Against Racism is a partnership of YWCA Associations throughout the country with the goal of bringing people together from all walks of life to raise awareness that racism still exists and that it can no longer be ignored or tolerated. Stand Against Racism events will be held in Asheville and Black Mountain starting on April 22 (click here for a list of Stand events).

If you’re reading this blog, you know that the mission of the YWCA is eliminating racism and empowering women. All proceeds from the Black & White Gala will go to support YWCA programs which bridge gaps in child care, education, health care, and earning power. The YWCA provides vital services to approximately 7,000 people annually.

Sponsors of the Black & White Gala include Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort, Biltmore Oil Co./Eblen Short Stop Stores and The Laurel Magazine. See a complete list of sponsors here.

To reserve tickets,  call 254-7206 x 207 or make your reservation online.

See you on the dance floor!

7th Annual YWCA Black & White Gala

The YWCA of Asheville’s 7th annual Black & White Gala will be held on Thursday, April 19, at 6:30 pm at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. This spirited dance party will feature high energy music by Westsound, a silent auction, and delicious food from local restaurants. Festive black and white attire is encouraged. Tickets are $50 each. All event proceeds will go to support YWCA programs which bridge gaps in child care, education, health care, and earning power. The Gala is also the kick off of to our annual Stand Against Racism awareness campaign.  Sponsors include the Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort, WNC Parent, and Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa.

Stop by the YWCA (185 S. French Broad Avenue) to purchase tickets, or click here to order tickets online.

We hope to see you there!

Citizen-Times Article

Black and White Gala raises money for YWCA
by Nancy Bomey, Asheville Citizen-Times

Put on your funkiest black-and-white outfit and get out your dancing shoes.

Organizers said that the YWCA’s fifth annual Black and White Gala on Thursday may be the biggest party of the year, complete with a live band for dancing, hors d’oeuvres for eating and dozens of auction items for bidding.

“In hard times, people want to feel good, and they also want to be able to help people in their community,” said Ami Worthen, marketing director at the YWCA. “The gala is a way for people to come and have a good time and support our programs, and with the economy the way it is, it’s needed more than ever.”

The YWCA expects to raise $25,000 through the gala to benefit the organization’s programs in child care, health care, education and improving earning power, Worthen said. She said the gala is especially important this year since donations to the YWCA are down because of the recession.

The downturn in the economy also led the organization to lower the ticket price to this year’s gala in an effort to make it more affordable and attract more people.

There are also more service-based items like haircuts, tree care and home organizing included in this year’s silent and live auctions.

“This year we did a lot of auction items that were suited a little bit better for the economy instead of luxury items,” said Jessica Guzman, president of the YWCA’s board of directors.

For those who do have some money to spend, Laurey Masterton is auctioning off a bee-themed dinner for 8 people at her house that includes a lesson in beekeeping and features food that wouldn’t be possible without the help of bees.

Masterton has auctioned off items at the gala before and has been an active member at the YWCA for many years, from being a board member to a regular at the health and fitness center. She said that she has seen the YWCA grow from a needy organization into a vibrant, rich, diverse place.

“It really is about the mission of the YWCA: empowering women and their families and eliminating racism,” Masterton said.

“That mission is unique to the YWCA … and it’s why I go there.”

Additional Facts
If you go

The YWCA’s fifth annual Black and White Gala starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave. Tickets are $40 or $75 for two. Dressy black-and-white attire is suggested. For more information, visit www.ywcaofasheville.org.

Photos of the 2008 Black & White Gala by Jason Sandford

Black & White Gala October 1st

We are getting geared up for YWCA of Asheville’s fifth annual Black & White Gala which will be held on Thursday, October 1, at 7:00 pm at the Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave. This FUN evening will feature silent and live auctions, food from local restaurants, and high energy dance music by Westsound. Festive black and white attire is encouraged – and good dancing shoes.

This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. Event proceeds will benefit programs bridging gaps in education, health care, earning power and childcare.

We hope you’ll want to join us. Especially since you get to have a blast while helping others! Tickets are only $40/each or two for $75. You can purchase tickets online today at www.ywcaofasheville.org or by calling 254-7206 x 206.

Photo of the 2008 Gala by Jason Sandford.