Concord University Celebrates 146 Years with President’s Ball

By Rebekah Skeens

On February 27, 2018

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The ball will celebrate Concord University’s 146th anniversary.
Photo Courtesy of Concord University

In honor of Concord University’s 146 Anniversary, the President’s Ball will be held in the Ballroom of the Jean and Jerry L. Beasley Student Center on Saturday, March 3. The Office of Advancement brings the event to the University as part of the Founders’ Day festivities.

The event is open to all community members, students, faculty, staff, friends and alumni of Concord University. Dinner for the evening will begin at 6 p.m. and the Ball will last from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. During the dinner, guests will enjoy a full plated dinner and entertainment before the dance begins. The first 100 guests to buy tickets for the dinner portion will also receive a commemorative goblet. The goblet features the President’s Ball emblem and guests may take it home afterwards.

This event will be presented through the Concord University Foundation. The Foundation provides students with funding and scholarships, which help students attend and pay for college. Specifically, the ball will be a fundraising event to help raise money for the CU Foundation.

Blake Farmer, manager of Concord’s advancement office, shares how important of an event this is for the Concord community. Attendees will be supporting the University as well as the formation of future scholarships. Proceeds of the event will go to other projects and funding for scholarships as part of the University Foundation, according to Concord University’s Facebook event.

Throughout the night, the guests will enjoy a variety of activities. The plated dinner will only be available to attendees with a dinner and dance ticket. There will be live entertainment provided. An open-air photo booth will be available to commemorate the event with photos. Guests may go through the booth as many times as they like. Photos will be on an instant printed strip with the President’s Ball logo located on the bottom.

During the night, a cash bar where guests can buy specialty beverages will be available to those at least 21 years of age. Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the night to anyone in attendance. Those without a dinner ticket may enjoy these as well.

When waiting outside the ballroom, guests will find a step and repeat wall. This backdrop and photo opportunity will have several recognizable Concord logos. Some logos will include the specialized Presidents Logo and the bell tower logo.

Farmer informs how this event is rare and is not offered frequently. “There aren’t many opportunities to attend events at this scale.” While this is the first President’s Ball to be held at Concord University, administration hopes that it will become an annual community event. While other Universities hold similar functions around homecoming, Concord is taking the opportunity to give the community an event to help celebrate the 146-year anniversary.

In the University Press Release, Dr. Boggess states, “It’s important that we as a campus community celebrate our history and progressively think of the direction we are heading in the future. For 146 years, Concord University has built a reputation that signifies quality educational outcomes not only in the surrounding communities, but also in our state and across the globe.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.concord.edu/cufoundation/presball or at the Office of Advancement located in University Point. There are two types of tickets which can be purchased—the dinner and dance general admission ticket for $40, or the dance only general admission ticket for $20. Faculty, staff, and students may buy tickets at a reduced price. Dance only tickets may be purchased at the door the night of the ball.