Carrie Bale
Auctioneer Gunner Boone of Jeff Boone and Associates Auction and Realty leads the live auction during last year’s Outfitters gala, a masquerade ball, at Embassy Suites in Noblesville.
Outfitters’ formal event expands, as has its service area
PENDLETON — With seven months of experience leading Outfitters, a non-profit organization that provides clothing for hundreds of local children every year, Carrie Bale is in the middle of perhaps her greatest challenge yet — preparing for the organization’s largest annual event, its formal benefit gala.
Indications so far are this year’s event will be even bigger than in the past.
“We can easily top $80,000,” Executive Director Bale said, with three weeks before the 16th annual event.
“We just wrapped up our sponsorship requests,” she said. “We are over $40,000 in sponsorships this year,” compared to $27,500 last year.
This year’s gala is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at Embassy Suites, 13700 Conference Center Drive, Noblesville.
The gala will include a night of dining, live music and dancing, as well as time to share the organization’s mission, recognize volunteers and support the cause through silent, live and dessert auctions.
New sponsors this year include Coca-Cola and Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, Bale said.
Attendance will drive another key portion of fundraising revenue.
Last year the event sold out with 300 guests.
This year — to allow for an additional 100 guests — Outfitters has increased the size of the space it is renting at Embassy Suites, where the event has taken place for several years.
As of Sunday morning, 210 tickets had been sold.
Auction proceeds also add to the total amount raised, which last year was almost $74,000.
This year’s event theme, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” will be reflected in, among other things, the presence of a Cinderella carriage for a photo prop.
The theme also reflects the process Outfitters will be going through as it seeks to chart its future, or reimagine its dream, Bale said.
She said Outfitters has grown through the years, including a big jump in the numbers of families served this past year, as the organization expanded its service boundaries to make use of a burgeoning clothing inventory.
The agency used to serve mainly families with children in South Madison Community School Corp. district; now it serves all of Madison County and communities beyond.
In the past three years, between about 400 and 600 children received clothes — high-quality, often new apparel, including new shoes, socks and underwear — from Outfitters.
However, last year’s number was 1,441, with 700 children from Anderson and more than 75 from outside of the county.
“It’s getting the word out,” Bale said, explaining what led to the jump in services.
She said the organization broadcast the message that “this is for any child in Madison County, you don’t need a referral, you don’t need a voucher … families started coming.”
During the next couple of weeks, however, Bale said the biggest word to get out will be about the gala.
One key point she stressed is that even though invitations are sent out to many people and organizations, including those who attended in prior years, “you do not need a personal invitation to attend. Anyone can buy a ticket.”
Tickets cost $80 and can be purchased at outfitters
clothes.org. Deadline to register is Feb. 15.
On gala night, doors open at 6 p.m. After registering, people will be able enter the ballroom, get settled, and wander the dessert and silent auction areas.
The program begins at 7 p.m. Dinner includes a choice of chicken and beef, salmon or vegetarian. A band, The Flying Toasters, will perform on stage.
People can register their cell phones and credit cards online to use to place auction bids. Bidding for some auction items will start prior to the gala.
Outfitters is located at 880 S. Pendleton Ave., Pendleton.
For more details, call 765-778-9097 or visit outfittersclothes.org.