Ladies shook the mothballs out of their wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses and grad dresses in support of the Lacombe Generals hockey team for the Black and Gold Moth Ball at the Lacombe Memorial Centre over the weekend.
“The feedback that we got from some of the ladies is that they have so many of these dresses in their closet that they’re never going to wear again,” said Charmen Baron, chair of the event.
Baron said she wanted to do something fun and unique for the fundraiser supporting of the Generals ‘AAA’ hockey team’s trip to Rosetown, SK for the Allan Cup, April 9-14, 2018.
“These guys don’t get paid to play and lots of them have families and kids, so for them to take a week off work is a big deal,” Baron said.
Baron expressed pride in the local team, who will act as the host City for the Allan Cup next year.
“Most people can play in a town and never make it that far, the Lacombe Generals have been quite successful,” Baron said.
Lacombe Generals were named provincial Champions after clinching a 4-1 series victory last week. The 6-1 win against the Stony Plain Eagles also secured them a spot at the Hockey Alberta Senior ‘AAA’ Allan Cup.
The Generals worked at the Moth Ball in various capacities, acting as butlers for the ladies, serving shooters and bussed tables. The players were dressed to serve in formal white shirts and black pants.
“There is nothing like this in Lacombe so it allowed us to set ourselves apart and get some exposure for something new,” Baron said.
“Ladies traditionally love anything with a theme.”
Baron said some of the more charismatic players were excited to show off for the ladies, but there are a few shyer guys that were a bit nervous about what to expect from the evening and hoped to quietly work security at the entrance.
The event is one more way for the Generals to connect with the community, which they have been active in over the past year: visiting schools, packing groceries and giving out tickets to games.
Charmen Baron and her husband Lionel Baron, the owner of Lionel’s No Frills, are big supporters of the team. Lionel’s No Frills was the main sponsor for the Moth Ball and they make many other contributions to the team throughout the year including providing the groceries for weekly suppers for the whole team at a significant discount.
Proceeds from Saturday’s dinner and auction will help pay for the team’s trip to Saskatchewan for the cup and compensate the players for their time away from work.