About the Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth-development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,687 Ys engage 21 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver lasting personal and social change. www.ymca.net
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“It really is the most fun fundraiser in town,” Wyatt Waters said last month, when he committed to create a piece of art.
Waters was talking about the YMCA’s “Luck of the Draw.” Food, fun, luck and libations--it’s all part of the third annual public benefit for the DeVille YMCA. This year’s event will be held Friday, July 13, 6:00 p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church’s Fowler Hall in Fondren.
Artists, mostly from the Jackson area, are busy creating works of art on paper no larger than 9” x 12”. At the event, all artwork will hang on the Big Wall of Art, and guests will have the chance to preview each piece.
This year, Jeff Good will act as Master of Ceremonies. He will delight event-goers with his quirky sense of humor while calling numbers from ticket stubs drawn from a raffle barrel.
The lucky person whose number is called first will go to the Big Wall of Art and remove the piece they want to take home. The person with the second number called chooses their piece and so on, until all ticket numbers have been called, and everyone will have just 30 seconds to claim their piece.
To ramp up the excitement, all pieces of art are signed on the back, not on the front, so participants choose what they like, not just a name.
Admission is $50 and includes food and drink, door prizes, a silent auction and a chance
to watch the evening’s primary entertainment, the “Luck of the Draw” art drawdown. An
additional $100 buys a numbered ticket to participate in the drawdown and guarantees the ticket-holder will go home with a piece of original art.
“The ‘Luck of the Draw’ is a fun way for anyone who appreciates art to enjoy a night out and go home with an original piece of art from a well-known artist or an artist who is new on the scene. The piece chosen could easily be worth well more than the price of admission,” said Owenne George, event chair.
“This year, some of our participating artists include Jere Allen from Oxford, Richard Chenoweth from Princeton, N.J., and Jackson artists Ellen Langford, Jeanne Seymour, Wyatt Waters, Ron Lindsay, Vidal Blankenstein, Cleta Ellington and Susan Wellington.”
Tickets to the event and numbered tickets to the drawdown can be purchased at the DeVille YMCA (601-709-3760) in Jackson’s DeVille Plaza, or at the event. The numbered tickets, however, are limited to the number of art pieces donated to the event, so an advance purchase is recommended for those who want to participate in the drawdown.
Proceeds from this fun and unique event go to the DeVille YMCA, which works toward youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
The Y is putting the fun back in fundraiser!
