Rotaract of Florida's First Coast Hosts Tenth Annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala

Gala Inspired by Romantic Ambience of Casablanca

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 8, 2011) – The Rotaract Club of Florida’s First Coast will host its 10th annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala, Casablanca, on Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 7 to 11p.m. at the Independent Square building lobby (formerly the Modis building) located at 1 Independent Drive.

Attendees sporting a mix of black tie and blue jeans attire will enjoy an open bar and hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants and a chance to bid on high end prize packages in a raffle. All will take place amid the romantic ambience inspired by the film Casablanca.

This year, attendees’ ticket purchases and donations will benefit The Big Fun Box®, a 501(c)3 organization that creates and distributes activity boxes—Big Fun Boxes—to entertain and comfort hospitalized children. Each year, Rotaract members choose a charity to receive funds raised from the Black Tie Blue Jeans Gala.

The gala raised $23,000 last year for Jacksonville’s Morning Star School. Over the past 10 years the gala has raised more than $140,000 for various organizations.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased online at jaxrotaract.org or from any Rotaract of Florida’s First Coast member.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Sara Conrad at (925) 336-6956 or sara_rose_conrad@yahoo.com.

About Rotaract of Florida’s First Coast

Founded in April 1990, the Rotaract Club of Florida’s First Coast is sponsored by the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville. Made up of nearly 50 young professionals, ages 22 to 32, the club extends the guiding principles and philosophies of the worldwide Rotary International organization to young professionals and emerging leaders on the First Coast through community service and opportunities for personal and professional growth. General membership meetings are the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at Haskell, 111 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville, at 6:00 p.m. All meetings are free and open to the public. More information about Rotaract can be found at jaxrotaract.org.

About The Big Fun Box®

The Big Fun Box® is a Jacksonville-based 501(c)3 organization with a national reach. The Foundation raises money to create Big Fun Boxes: activity boxes that are donated to hospitalized children around the country, to give them ways to entertain themselves during long hospital stays. The Foundation’s president and her late son established The Big Fun Foundation to help families who found themselves in similar situations to theirs—frequent and extended hospital stays for his cystic fibrosis, bilateral lung transplant and colon cancer. They found strength and maintained their sense of humor and perspective by making up games to divert their attention. The Big Fun Box is donated to children with any illness or injury so they and their families can learn some of the coping skills the founders used to comfort themselves during uncomfortable, boring or painful situations.

# # #

Contact:

Sara Conrad

Gala PR Chair

Jaxrotaract.org

(925) 336-6956

sara_rose_conrad@yahoo.com

Published by First Coast Rotaract

Jacksonville’s finest young professionals striving to enhance our community through the common bonds of service, friendship and professional development.

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