For those not inclined to black tie events, there's a more relaxed ball coming to town.
The 14th annual Blue Jean Ball will be held Friday, Sept. 26, at Pat Dye's hunting lodge, Crooked Oaks.
Festivities will include a birds of prey presentation from the College of Veterinary Medicine's Southeastern Raptor Center, silent and live auctions, tours of Pat Dye's home, dinner and music.
The net proceeds from the ball will be used to provide scholarships for both Auburn University's and Auburn University in Montgomery's Schools of Nursing, as well as support for faculty and program initiatives.
"We are excited to be back at Coach Dye's home for the 14th annual Blue Jean Ball," said Gregg Newschwander, dean of the AU and AUM Schools of Nursing. "The ball is our largest annual fundraiser. It continues to draw a great crowd devoted to supporting our Schools of Nursing. We hope this year's party will be better than ever."
The ball began in 2001, when Barbara Witt, then dean of nursing at both Auburn and AUM, and then assistant dean, Nancy McDonald, came up with the idea. McDonald, Dye's significant other, teamed up with Dye to hold the ball at his hunting lodge.
"Out at the lodge, in that beautiful, rustic setting, they decided to have a casual event rather than a black-tie event --something different,"said Shelley Grider, developmental officer of Auburn's School of Nursing and event planner for the Blue Jean Ball.
The inspiration to title it the "Blue Jean Ball" came from the setting of the hunting lodge.
"Blue jeans are very appropriate at Pat Dye's," Grider said. "There are a lot of people that wear their blue jeans or their cowboy attire. Crooked Oaks is a hunting lodge, so it's this very deep, dark brown lodge that the hunters stay in; a lot of wood everywhere, very rustic. It's very appropriate to be dressed in that kind of attire and to call it the Blue Jean Ball."
The two musical artists performing this year will be Jay Hughes, who will perform country music earlier in the evening, and Blue Denim, a band from Atlanta.
"Blue Denim is a fairly local band," Grider said. "We've had different bands. It varies year to year. They provides a wide variety of country music, as well as some light rock music."
Dye is deeply involved in the event, personally preparing the farm for the ball, according to Lynn Huggins, personal assistant to Dye and event coordinator for the ball.
"He's not there right at the beginning because he works during the day--all day--getting ready for it, but he takes a nap, takes a little rest and comes over in the evening," Huggins said. "He spends a lot of time meeting and greeting and taking pictures and seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Then he enjoys the food and dances a little."
Each year, Dye emcees the live auction. This year, men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl will join him.
"When it's time for the live auction, Pearl has always in the middle of it," Huggins said. "He's, of course, hilarious and lots of fun. He's not used to taking a back seat, you know."
Grider said the Schools of Nursing are grateful for Dye's support.
"He is a terrific individual to work with," Grider said. "We are so grateful for his support over the years and his continued advocacy for nursing. He understands, from having been a patient in recent years. He understands the importance of nurses and how they really help in the healing and recovery process."
Tickets are available at auburn.edu/academic/nursing/bluejeanball.
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