Attendees dressed in their best party gear, chatted the night away as they browsed auction items, snacked on tidbits of both sweet and savory foods; cheese dip, chips, chicken and salmon bites, shrimp pico, potatoes with all the fixin’s and an assortment of lots more. Onward to desert, so many pieces of cake, cake pops, and little sweet squares stacked on tiers, everyone had their fill. The delicious spread, catered by Amigo Juan was laid out beautifully on a multi-table spread with a massive display of the most magnificent, tiered cake you’ve ever seen right in the center.
The Arkansas Circus Act was present showcasing their talents. Performers on stilts, juggling lighted batons, hoops and inflatables were set up all throughout along with carnival games for anyone who wanted to try their hand at a little friendly competition. Cotton candy was readily available, and a cheerful game of musical chairs was played on the dance floor with the last one standing winning a substantial amount of money.
The birthday motif was visible throughout the venue with bright, bold, multi-hued pieces that made for amazing photo ops. In the middle, a giant handcrafted balloon art birthday cake with a 60 atop was on display, an area with a lighted BBB sign with a life size Texas tic -tac- toe board in one corner and an actual photo booth complete with all the birthday props in the other. The inflatables, bounce houses, and carnival games made for a magical night of fun and so many took advantage. The crowd had a blast with each click of the camera and danced the night away to the fantastical tunes of the one and only DJ Stanley.
A variety of auction items were available for the crowd to bid on. These included skin care items, fine jewelry, Razorback signs, an amazing vacation getaway, a hand painted crawfish boil bucket, grills, a tabletop bowling set, a party raft cruise, purses, totes, a variety of gift certificates and many more! Raffle tickets were bought in abundance for a chance to win a 14 karat, 17-inch yellow gold tennis necklace with a 3-carat lab grown diamond valued at $6,200 donated by Alexander’s Jewelers.
Proceeds of the Beads, Bags, and Bangles annual event go to the UAHT Foundation, which supports Kids College and Camp Save-A-Life programs. These programs are designed for students entering first through eighth grade.
UAHT Foundation Director Kelly Wilcox said, “Overall, I feel the night was an overwhelming success. The BBB committee worked very hard planning and pulling off an amazing night. I am very new to this role, so I relied heavily on this committee’s expertise. The feedback from the community was very positive. I heard several times from attendees that last night’s BBB was hands down their favorite. And you can bet we will begin planning for next year even earlier to top this year’s. We would like to thank Farmers Bank & Trust for being our Presenting Sponsor for the evening and Alexander’s Jewelers, our Presenting Raffle Sponsor for donating a most beautiful necklace. We are thankful for all our sponsors. We had many new sponsors that joined this year, and we are very grateful for that. The UAHT Foundation not only strives to advance higher education, but to also support programs like Kids’ College, Camp Save-A-Life, and the veterans’ bladesmithing programs."
The venue was packed with many members of the community who showed up to support the fundraiser, and a list of sponsors was on display that demonstrated just how many businesses, organizations, and individuals assisted in making the event happen. The night was filled with the fun and fellowship of a community coming together for a worthy cause.
The best result of all though will occur this summer, when Kids College and Camp Save -A- Life open their doors, and another group of eager, excited children will have the opportunity to celebrate their future by participating in a summer enrichment program full of knowledge, imagination, and creativity
