59 young women to be presented at Ball of Roses

The annual Ball of Roses will be held on Saturday, June 1 in the East Room of the Country Club of Birmingham. The presentation begins at 9 p.m. The Ball of Roses is sponsored by Ann Bailey Pritchard White, president of the Ballet Guild of Birmingham, and Executive Vice-President Amber Andrews Sones.

The First Ball of Roses was held in August of 1961. Eleven young women from Birmingham were presented.

Each year, the ball is sponsored by the Ballet Guild of Birmingham, which is an invitational organization of young women dedicated to supporting the ballet in Birmingham through fundraising and volunteer work. Founded in 1959, the Ballet Guild was organized to promote and foster development of ballet in Birmingham in addition to raising funds for its support. Since its inception, the Ballet Guild has raised more than $1 million for the Alabama Ballet.

This year, the Ball of Roses celebrates its 59th anniversary and continues to serve as a vital fundraiser for the Alabama Ballet.

The Ball of Roses Chairman, Mackin McKinney Thompson, and Ball Co-Chairman Madison Whatley Merrill have collaborated with Carole Sullivan on a dreamy palette of corals and bright pinks, as well as a green color scheme from outdoor greenery and trees for the ball decor. The idea of the ball is for attendees to feel like they are outside under the stars. The Men’s Committee Dinner chair, Virginia Hazelrig Carter has planned a formal seated dinner for donors prior to the presentation of this year’s 59 girls.

Submitted by Eliza Maxwell