More than 1,000 young professionals and entrepreneurs, most between the ages of 24 and 30, gathered beneath the crystal chandeliers of the Imperial Ballroom at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers on Saturday to support Children’s Hospital. In its third year, the black-tie Boston Winter Ball attracted attendees from all over the United States and abroad and raised more than $130,000 for the charity—a 4 percent increase from the previous year.
According to founder Michael Huffstetler, the event’s growth can be attributed, in part, to extra elements for guests. “Every year we’ve become more focused on the details," he said. "We understand now that people want to come, but now it’s about making sure they come back.” To help ensure repeat guests and add a grander sense of occasion, Huffstetler and his team brought in a step-and-repeat, additional photographers, and a complimentary coat check. Freebies included Mercy’s hangover relief drink and Streaker Sports items, and guests could participate in giveaways of Jack Wills’s multicolored underwear, known as Party Pants.
Huffstetler said that sponsors’ enthusiastic involvement and higher-value raffle and silent auction items also contributed to the event’s success. Elkman Advertising increased its social media presence and donated a $500 credit toward their advertising services, Jack Wills donated a $1,500 shopping spree, and other raffle and auction prizes included a gift certificate to Charlestown Yoga, a gift basket from Ocean Coffee Roasters, and a box of cigars.
After dropping tickets into silver bowls in front of their hoped-for prizes at the raffle bar, guests sat at large, round tables topped with the Park Plaza’s deep red linens, sipping cocktails and snacking on buffet-style bites of grilled and roasted vegetables, prosciutto, and marinated mozzarella. Natalie Pietreak, Miss Massachusetts 2012, was available to pose with guests for photographs, and throughout the night, the eight-member brass band Legit, flanked by a Children’s Hospital banner, played songs from both a classic and contemporary catalog.
For Huffstetler, the ball met its goal of bringing together young people to celebrate the importance of community and charity. “Charity, for us, isn’t a stuffy and boring obligation where you’re motivated by a tax deduction. We’re putting great people in a room together and celebrating our communities. We’re giving back to Children’s because we want to, and because it’s fun.”
