Black Tie Blue Jeans fundraiser next week

Local residents will have a chance to eat, drink, and give at next week’s Black Tie Blue Jeans fundraiser.

The 13th annual event, presented by the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce and Jefferson Valley Community Foundation, is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 6 at the Whitehall Community Center. This year’s BTBJ will start at 5:30 p.m. and feature a dinner, cocktails, auctions, and a $1,00 Calcutta drawing.

BTBJ Committee member Jill Dove stressed the significance of the event for local non-profit organizations, and said it is an incredibly important for the community. She added there is not a similar fundraiser that takes place in the area.

Last year, a total of 162 seats were sold to the event. Shortly after the 2016 fundraiser, organizer Kristi Wilson estimated the total raised was $39,000. BTBJ made around $35,000 in 2015.

Dove said unlike in previous years, they have had non-profit organizations apply for funding as well as give an explanation of what they would be doing with the money. She said committee members would get together shortly after the event and decide how much to give the various organizations. Dove has high hopes they will be able to give to more organizations than in previous years.

Proceeds from last year’s event went the Whitehall Veteran’s of Foreign Wars, Whitehall American Legion, Whitehall Chamber Community Events, Jefferson Valley Community Foundation, Whitehall Community Library, Whitehall Public Transportation, Whitehall Senior Center and the Whitehall Chapter of Mariah’s Challenge.

In an interview last year, event organizer Kristi Wilson said BTBJ is a very fun night, and it’s great to see the community pull together for the betterment of several area non-profits.

“It is unlike any event in Whitehall, but it still has a friendly neighborhood feel,” Wilson said. “This event is truly a community fundraiser. The money stays here in Whitehall; we don’t have a national organization that keeps part of the profits like so many of the auctions we all love to attend. Donations are made to many area organizations, a significant portion stays with JVCF to support future grants and a large portion stays with the Chamber to support the many activities they organize and put in on Whitehall through-out the year.”

Dove said as of Monday afternoon, there were 60 tickets remaining. Tickets can be purchased at the Corner Store located at 201 W. Legion Ave. in Whitehall.

The sponsors of the 2017 BTBJ are the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine, Rocky Mountain Bank, and the River Ranch (Ruth Lott).