Baron’s Ball to have Venetian flair this year

The 27th annual Baron’s Ball, Levi Hospital’s benefit gala, will be held Nov. 3 at the Hot Springs Convention Center and feature a Venetian theme this year.

The annual gala will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception and silent auction. At 7 p.m., doors will open for the guests to enjoy a first-class dinner, followed by live entertainment and a DJ Dance Party to close out the night, according to a news release from the hospital.

All proceeds from the Baron’s Ball go toward Levi’s programs, which include outpatient rehabilitation therapy services, student-athlete programs, Levi transitions counseling, and adult inpatient psychiatric care.

This is the 15th year the fundraiser has been known as the Baron’s Ball, and this year the baron, Davis Tillman, will present Venetian Carnival, a fantastic evening filled with glitz, glamour, fine dining, live entertainment and dancing, the release said.

The gala committee has announced that the event will include a special act, Matthew Richardson, an

American Roue Cyr artist who lives in Montreal, Quebec. Born and raised in Georgia, he developed his passion for circus after years of exploring many types of performing arts. He spent years training in aerial arts and circus, the release said.

The Cyr wheel, also known as the roue Cyr, mono wheel or simple wheel, is an acrobatic apparatus that consists of a single large ring made of aluminum or steel with a diameter approximately 4-6 inches taller than the performer. The performer stands inside the Cyr wheel and grasps its rim, causing it to roll and spin gyroscopically while performing acrobatic moves in and around the rotating wheel. The modern Cyr wheel consists of a single ring and has no handles. The Cyr wheel takes its name from Daniel Cyr, who reinvented it as an apparatus at the end of the 20th century.

For the fifth year running, the Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Department received The Sentinel-Record Readers’ Choice Award for best Outpatient Physical Therapy Provider. In addition, the hospital is recognized throughout the state for its work with those with psychiatric disorders, as it is one of the few hospitals that will take patients from 18 years of age and older, the release said.

“While Levi has great facilities and equipment, our success comes directly from the team of dedicated professionals whose only mission is to bring the patient to their highest level of function, whether that be physical, mental or emotional. Levi Hospital is one of the oldest and longest-serving hospitals in the state of Arkansas, having opened its doors on Nov. 1, 1914. Since that date, Levi Hospital has gained a reputation of providing superior care within its defined services. Levi has always focused on meeting the community health needs, and as such, has modified its programming to address those critical, unmet and underserved needs,” Pat McCabe, president and CEO of Levi, said in the release.

“As the hospital continues to meet the needs of its community, fundraising is still an important component to providing quality patient care. As a nonprofit entity, Levi provides services within the resources of its organization,” the release said.

Ticket and sponsorship opportunities for this year’s Baron’s Ball are available by visiting http://www.levihospitalbaronsball.org.

Call Jackie Arrison, vice president for development for Levi Hospital, at 501-622-3498 for additional information.