Jasperites will don their sharpest outfits, dust off their most striking masks and head to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for the Rotary Club of Jasper鈥檚 Masquerade Ball, March 8.
The popular fundraiser is back for its second year, and Rotary Club member Wendy Wacko said it鈥檚 going to be 鈥渁 lot more extravagant鈥� this time around.
This year the club is hosting the event along with Marmot Basin, and Rotary Club president Hugh Lecky said the whole night will be 鈥済eared to have a mountain flair to it.鈥� That means themed decorations, multimedia presentations from Marmot staff, and the unveiling of a huge, specially commissioned painting of Marmot Basin from realist painter Bruce K. Lawes, valued at more than $23,000.
Along with the mountain motif, Lecky said the club is bringing back the same band that rocked the house last year, only they鈥檙e adding a horn section to liven things up even more.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a great live band,鈥� he said. 鈥淟ast time, it was Sunday night and people still danced 鈥榯il midnight鈥攊t was great,鈥� and because this year鈥檚 dance is happening on a Saturday, it should last even longer.
Along with a bigger band, Lecky said organizers will also bring in some dancers to 鈥渁dd a little extra flair.鈥�
The club is aiming to sell twice as many tickets as the previous year鈥攁 total of 300, if possible鈥攁nd Wacko said they are already more than halfway there. She said that along with access to the champagne reception, four-course meal with wine from the Jasper Park Lodge and live music, the ticket also comes with a complimentary lift ticket to Marmot.
The masquerade is one of only two major fundraisers the Rotary Club hosts each year. Lecky explained that all the money raised will go to the club鈥檚 charity account, which it uses to fund projects both locally and abroad.
He said that even the international projects the Jasper chapter supports usually have a Jasper connection. He mentioned Rotarians Jill and Neil Fenton鈥檚 Tools for Schools program in Rwanda as a prime example.
Even though the event is a major fundraiser, Lecky said anyone interested should snap up their tickets quickly, because there鈥檚 no guarantee the masquerade will happen every year.
鈥淲e want to keep it special,鈥� Lecky said, explaining that the club has been discussing hosting it only every couple of years, or even moving away from the masquerade theme to keep things exciting.
But whatever happens in the future, he said he is looking forward to what he thinks will be a great party. He mentioned that a lot of folks from out of town have scooped up tickets this year, making for 鈥渜uite a mix of interesting people鈥� at the party.
And of course, everything seems like so much more fun from behind a mask.
鈥淚t鈥檚 quite interesting, you know, you dress someone up in formal gear and they鈥檙e pretty stoic, but you put a mask on them and they鈥檙e a lot different鈥攖hey鈥檙e a lot more fun,鈥� Lecky said.
聽Trevor Nichols
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