Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County's largest annual fund-raiser, the Déjà Vu Ball, returned to the Bahia Mar Beach Resort and Yachting Center on Saturday for its sixth year. The event sold out nearly two weeks in advance, with more than 400 people in attendance, and raked in $300,000—$100,000 more than in 2008—through table sponsorships alone.
"We were a little skeptical of the economic environment and wondered if we'd have the success we've had in past years, and a lot [of revenue] has come in as a result of our honorees," said the organization's C.E.O., Ana Cedeño. "About 50 to 60 percent of the [tables] are sold through a ripple effect based on the honorees and people coming to support them."
The DĂ©jĂ Vu Ball garners attendance through table sponsorships rather than ticket sales. Companies like AutoNation, Maroone, Publix, Comcast, and other local corporations and donors sponsored tables ranging from $1,500 to $50,000, based on location and number of seats reserved. Additional benefits like signage, overnight stays at the resort, and representation in the event program and post-event yearbook are also sold as part of the larger packages.
The costume ball's theme channels a different bygone era each year. On Saturday, guests dressed as their favorite pop culture icons from the 1950s through 1980s. The night began with a two-hour cocktail reception with entertainment from DJ Ron St. John of Magic 102.7, a local radio station that plays '60s and '70s music. Cover band DC3 from Sixth Star Entertainment and Marketing played popular '80s hits as guests entered the ballroom.
Sixth Star used floor-to-ceiling spandex along the walls, spandex balls suspended from the ceiling, and colorful lighting and linens to transform the ballroom for the retro affair. The hotel set up food stations along two walls. Stations included carved beef tenderloin and seared pacific salmon, Mongolian stir-fry, and various Italian antipastas.
The dance floor doubled as center stage for the night's program and choreographed entertainment acts. Each of the three honorees, including philanthropist and former N.B.A. player Alonzo Mourning, received an encased gold record for their advocacy of children and mentoring programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters. Break-dancers and a Michael Jackson tribute group were among the night's acts. A Madonna impersonator served as the night's headliner and performed a 25-minute concert, which ended with a confetti cannon showering the ballroom. DC3 then took over until the party wrapped up around midnight.
