Bridesmaids’ Ball: Putting Bad Dresses to a Good Use Yet Again

By NICOLE LEWIS

Most people who attend charity balls try to look their best, but that’s not

true of many of the women who go to the annual Bridesmaids’ Ball sponsored by the eastern Pennsylvania chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in Philadelphia.

The highlight of the event, which last year raised a net sum of $57,000 from 800 attendees and corporate support, is the Bridesmaid Dress from Hell contest, in which women try to outdo one another by donning garish or unflattering dresses. A woman wearing a dark greenish-blue dress with a floral pattern took home last year’s top honors — and a prize of jewelry from Tiffany & Company.

Julie Hyland, the society’s director of development, thought up the event after hearing friends commiserate about the unattractive bridesmaids’ dresses they had had to wear. Ms. Hyland’s idea: Offer women a way to contribute to charity while competing for a prize for having the ugliest dress.

The first party, in 1993, attracted 350 people and raised $13,000 for the charity, which supports research and services for patients in eastern Pennsylvania who are fighting blood-related cancers.

The event raises money through ticket sales ($50 in advance last year, $60 at the door); raffle tickets (last year’s grand prize, donated by Air Jamaica and SuperClubs Resorts, was a trip for two to Jamaica); corporate ads in a printed program; and corporate sponsorships. Eight companies donated a total of $17,000 last year.

Beginning at around 9 p.m., patrons dance to live music, sip drinks at an open bar, and nibble hors d’oeuvres. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society pays for the venue, food, band, and invitations, but cuts costs by asking a volunteer committee to solicit corporate donations of products and services, says Kathleen Rogers, a fund raiser at the charity. Besides the Jamaica trip, Tiffany jewelry, and other prizes, in-kind donations last year included alcohol, table flowers, a wedding cake, and the services of a disc jockey.

Planning for the spring event begins in November. Ms. Rogers oversees logistics and follows up on fund-raising leads. A 20-member committee of volunteers publicizes the ball by selling raffle tickets, tacking up posters in bars, restaurants, and athletic facilities, and handing out announcements the size of business cards with information about the event.

In addition, save-the-date cards and invitations are mailed to 6,000 people who have come to the ball in the past as well as to people suggested by committee members. Still, nearly half the tickets are sold the night of the event, says Ms. Rogers.

After the ball, the charity sends attendees a thank-you note that tells how much money was raised, plus a survey that seeks feedback on the event and solicits volunteers and sponsors for the next ball.

Ms. Hyland estimates that 10 to 15 percent of participants, who are mostly in their 20’s and 30’s, become donors or volunteers. A volunteer who chaired the event for the past six years is now a trustee.

To attract older donors, the society two years ago started holding an annual black-tie ball. In 2000, the Legacy Ball raised a net sum of $94,245 and attracted 330 people. Tickets sold for $300 each.

While the Legacy Ball raised more money than the Bridesmaids’ Ball, the charity has no plans to stop producing the Bridesmaids’ event. Among young professionals, says Ms. Rogers, it has gained a reputation of being more relaxed than other balls. “This is more laid-back,” she says. “People dress up; it’s goofy.”

For more information, see the event’s Web site at http://www.bridesmaidsball.org, or contact Kathleen Rogers, Campaign Manager, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 2D1, Philadelphia, Pa. 19130; (215) 232-1100; krogers@pa-est.leukemia-lymphoma.org.