By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
Mark your calendar and make your reservations for these fundraising events headed your way in February.
Symphony Ball
The Amarillo Symphony Guild's annual major fundraiser, the Symphony Ball, is set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Heritage Ballroom, 401 S. Buchanan St.
Themed "The Best of Times Ball," the event will feature a formal catered dinner, presentation of the Symphony Belles and Beaux, dancing to the music of Dallas band Cuvee, a live auction and more.
Tickets are $200. Proceeds benefit the Guild's programs.
Call 806-376-8782.
Mardi Gras Party
Let the good times roll — or, in Cajun parlance, laissez les bons temps rouler — at this annual fundraiser for Family Support Services.
The event begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Civic Center Heritage Ballroom and will feature dinner, music by Velvet Funk, auctions and casino games.
Tickets are $60 and benefit FSS, a multi-service nonprofit agency that assists children in families across the Texas Panhandle, offering crisis services for sexual assault and domestic violence, affordable counseling, veteran resources and more.
Call 806-342-2503.
Heroes & Legends Ball
Baseball star Cal Ripken Jr. will speak at the fifth-annual Heroes & Legends Ball for The Bridge Children's Advocacy Center.
The banqet begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Civic Center Grand Plaza and will feature a steak dinner from The Big Texan, a silent auction and more.
Ripken, who retired in 2001 after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, holds several baseball records, including the most consecutive games played (2,632). He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Chuck Morgan, announcer for the Texas Rangers, will be master of ceremonies.
Tickets are $150. Proceeds benefit The Bridge, which collaborates with more than 70 agencies to provide a coordinated approach to the investigation of child-abuse cases.
Call 806-372-2873.
Community Rocks Festival
An all-star lineup of Amarillo rock and country bands will come together for a benefit concert for Amarillo Housing First, a new nonprofit working with the homeless population.
The lineup includes Colton Clarkson, Hed Change and Lifeless 2 Life on Feb. 10, and Richard Mittelstet, Jen Williams & The Potty Mouths, The Fwoops, Mustard, Loudmouth Lisa and Danny Ruiz & Gypsy Renegade on Feb. 11.
The event runs from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Feb. 10 and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Feb. 11 at Tom & Jerry's Sports Bar & Grill, 715 S. Polk St.
Cover is $10 for both days.
Go Red for Women luncheon
Comedian Kat Simmons is featured speaker for this year's luncheon for the American Heart Association.
The event begins at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 14 in the Civic Center Heritage Ballroom.
The event is designed to call attention to women's heart disease and strokes.
Tickets are $75.
Call 806-316-8444.
Celebration of Excellence Benefit Gala
The Education Foundation of Canyon Independent School District will host a gala dinner and fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in the West Texas A&M University Legacy Hall.
The event will feature dinner, a silent auction and dancing to music by Amarillo native Randall King.
Tickets are $50 and benefit the foundation, which provides educator and student leadership grants, new teacher startup funds and more.
Call 806-677-2605.
March of Babies Kickoff Luncheon
The March of Dimes fundraising drive gets its annual start at this luncheon.
The free event begins at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 9 in the Civic Center Grand Plaza. It kicks off a series of events and fundraising activities that will culminate with the April 29 walk at Town Square Village, 9200 Town Square Blvd. Proceeds benefit March of Dimes' efforts to increase full-term pregnancies and help with issues related to premature births.
Call 806-553-2391.
Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/chipchandlerwriter on Facebook. A roundup of March fundraisers will run Feb. 22; submissions for consideration are due by Feb. 20.
