CRESTVIEW — Covenant Hospice has an extra $20,000 after the annual Blue Jean Ball, staffers said.
The Oct. 4 Arabian Nights-themed evening included a dinner buffet by Chef Brian Cartenuto, a silent auction and — of course — dancing, a Blue Jean Ball fixture.
Optometrist Dr. Wanda Batson, Joel Davis of Davis-Watkins Funeral Homes, and gastroenterologist Dr. Khalid Moussa participated in the Dancing with the Crestview Stars segment, which matched community business leaders — amateur dancers — with professional partners from Fred Astaire Dance Studio.
The event also featured a crowd-pleasing Bollywood performance, belly dancing and fire juggling in the Crestview Community Center.
"I think the entertainment was so fantastic," Covenant's senior development and communications manager Jenni Perkins said. "We were extremely pleased with the turnout and the results. We had just glowing remarks."
Now, organizers already are planning for next year's ball.
It'll bring a"1920s speakeasy, Great Gatsby sort of feel in the community center," Perkins said.
In the meantime, Covenant — which has a number of locations throughout the Florida Panhandle — has other fundraisers planned before the new year.
Locally, there's the 2nd Annual Covenant Alzheimers Services' Miles of Memories 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Walk. It's scheduled for 8 a.m. Nov. 8 at Bluewater Fitness Center in Niceville.
Covenant Hospice’s physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides and trained volunteers make regular visits to deliver medical care, help with personal care or facilitate legacy-building or reconciliation with family members and significant others.
“We also provide support for survivors as they move through bereavement to renewal,” Perkins stated in an email.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Blue Jean Ball nets $20K for Covenant Hospice; organizers announce ball's 2015 (VIDEO)