The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County will present its 50th annual Children’s Ball on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Omni San Diego Hotel, 675 “L” St., Downtown San Diego. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit programs, activities and services provided annually to more than 3,000 children, ages 5 to 18, who attend the five facilities operated by the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County. Cocktail reception and drawing will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Attire is cocktail and black tie or suit.
The theme for the evening is “Conrad’s Supper Club” in honor of event sponsors Conrad Prebys and Debbie Turner for their commitment to the youth of East County over the past 25 years. The decor will highlight the supper club ambiance of the 1950s and 1960s. Organizers promise the atmosphere will be “a step back in time to a place where mystery and romance linger long after the music ends.” Performing at the event will be Sacha Boutros and The Big Band. Husband-and-wife and media personalities Billy Ray Smith Jr. and Kimberly Hunt will serve as emcees. Individual tickets begin at $325 per person. A table for 10 people, including one room (double-occupancy), overnight accommodations at the hotel, is priced at $4,000. To RSVP, call Samantha Olsen at (619) 440-1600 or visit www.BGCEC.org.
In addition to dinner, guests will enjoy seafood appetizers provided by San Diego Seafood. Guests also will have the opportunity to win diamonds, $2,000 in cash and a trip to Bali. Children’s Ball committee members include Bob Scheid, California Coast Credit Union, and Robert Whitelaw, California Bank & Trust.
The gala, which began in 1966 for the Boys Club of El Cajon, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. In 1966, the fundraiser was known as the “Big Boys Banquet” and it was at the El Cajon Elks Lodge.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County, a chartered member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, operates five East County facilities, including: the Conrad Prebys Complex with the El Cajon Clubhouse, 1171 East Madison Ave., and El Cajon Teen Center, 1153 East Madison Ave.; Lakeside Clubhouse, 12824 Lakeshore Dr.; Brady Family La Mesa Teen Center, 7775 Junior High Dr.; and, Conrad Prebys Santee Clubhouse, 8820 Tamberly Way.