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This past weekend the Friends of the Black & Gold hosted their third Black & Gold Ball fundraising event where the community headed to tropics and funds were raised for a good cause. Wedsworth Hall was transformed with colorful lights, tiki masks and totem poles for a Luau Beach Party to remember. The community flooded the festive atmosphere with Hawaiian prints and colorful leis, there was even a flamingo, a wet-suit and a coconut bra in the crowd! Everyone mingled, enjoyed Luau-style dinner and desserts, played fun side games, took part in the live and silent auctions, and danced the night away!

While colors, laughter and good spirits filled the room, the aroma of beach-themed cuisine enticed the crowd. The Driftwood catered the event and provided a raved-about meal including roasted pig, pineapple baked beans, Hawaiian chicken and rice, coleslaw and pineapple upside-down cake. They also provided beer and wine along with a few refreshing signature cocktails.

Announcer Randy Bogden engaged the crowd in attendance on the new sound system funded by a Friends of the Black & Gold Micro-Grant, while bids were placed at the silent auction tables. The Silent Auction included a variety of enticing items and experiences donated by community members and businesses. The excitement started to build as local Auctioneer Tammy Mortag made her way to the front of the room for the Live Auction, where the colorful crowd anxiously bid back and forth on the 7 incredible items. Items included local artwork, NFL football tickets, an AR-15 rifle, Bobcat & Griz baskets with football tickets, a ski package with hotel stay and hot springs passes and a guided fishing trip.

Between perusing the silent and live auction tables, people took part in a variety of side games. Games included the "Tearin' it Up" card-tear 50/50. "Plinko", where players could drop a chip and watch it bounce down the board to win chances at a Paddle Board. The "Swiss Cheese Board" was a challenging game of guiding a golf ball along a path by pulling strings with the opportunity to win a 36" Blackstone Griddle. "Let's Flamingle" required players to toss a ring onto a flamingo to earn a chance to win a Sig-Sauer 380 pistol with a beautiful rainbow finish. The Friends of the Black & Gold couldn't have pulled these side games and prize packages off without the help of our generous sponsors, donors, and FFA volunteers that helped run the games during the event. The evening was filled with activities for the guests to partake in while also contributing funds to support youth and family activities in the Cascade, Ulm and Wolf Creek communities.

Attendees from Cascade, Ulm, Wolf Creek and surrounding communities posed for pictures and selfies around the photo booth and danced the night away as local DJ Matt McKamey kept the beach party rolling with music. A good time was had by all and the Friends of the Black & Gold are looking forward to awarding more micro-grants to our local communities with the funds raised at the Luau Beach Party. "Gathering people together like this bolsters pride, strength and energy for the local area. The Friends of the Black & Gold Ball is a fun night out with the bonus of contributing to something bigger than ourselves as individuals," says Farrah McGregor, Friends of the Black & Gold president. "What we do at this fundraising event truly strengthens the entire area, and that's a great thing to be a part of."

Thank you again to all who donated to our side games, silent and live auctions. You truly made this an incredibly successful event! Between the side games, raffle baskets, and silent and live auctions, ticket sales and generous donations, we were able to raise funds for our local youth and family activities! Since our first fundraising event we have been able to able to provide over $20,000 in grants and scholarships:

• The Atkinson Pool - $1763

• The Ulm School - $1000

• Cascade Youth Baseball - $1275

• Cascade School Gym - $1875

• The Wolf Creek School - $2000

• Cascade Senior/Community Center - $1950

• Badger Cubs Basketball - $1810

• Town of Cascade - $1800

• Wedsworth Hall - $2000

• Badger Cubs Volleyball - $1911

• Poolitis - $2000

• Scholarships for Cascade High School Seniors - $2000

Ray Castellanos

The Friends of the Black & Gold's mission is to inspire enthusiasm, develop ideas and generate funds to support and enrich youth and family activities in Cascade and surrounding communities. We are a group of hard-working, local individuals who are always welcoming new members, ideas and involvement. "Like" the Friends of the Black & Gold's Facebook page and follow us on Instagram @blackandgold.406 for the latest updates and information. If you were unable to attend the event and would like to contribute a monetary donation to the organization and their mission, checks can be sent to Friends of the Black and Gold, PO Box 577, Cascade, MT 59421. If you have any questions, feel free to contact one of our board members; Farrah McGregor, Tracy Taft, Lawni Raether or Christa Hardy. The group would like to send out our sincere appreciation to not only the generous donors and volunteers that helped make the event successful, but also to the attendees who took selfies, bid on items, danced like nobody was watching and gave with excitement. You are the heart of this organization and together we will do great things!