Vail Valley Foundation’s Black Diamond Ball returns with Bollywood flair
Special to the Daily |
AVON — The 19th annual Black Diamond Ball — the Vail Valley Foundation’s largest fundraising event — is coming to the Park Hyatt at Beaver Creek on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m., and bringing with it a taste of the exotic and lavish culture of the Indian cinema scene. Featuring traditional Indian music, dancing and entrees inspired by south Asia, this event will be the year’s biggest utsava (celebration – Hindi).
“Our Bollywood theme will definitely be a colorful take on the grand tradition of the Black Diamond Ball,” said Tanya Hiple, director of development for the Vail Valley Foundation. “We are encouraging guests to dress on theme this year, which we feel adds an extra layer of glamour and fun.”
Vail Valley tradition
The Black Diamond Ball features a three-course meal, drinks, live entertainment and dancing to make the soiree one of the valley’s most anticipated evenings. The evening-long celebration is hosted over President’s Day weekend, allowing more of the VVF’s supporters to attend this special event.
“The Black Diamond Ball is one of the great traditions of this valley, and it is thriving at its new place on the calendar over President’s Day weekend,” said Mike Imhof, president and CEO of the Vail Valley Foundation. “It’s also a time where we are able to raise critical dollars for our projects, programs and venues and to show our appreciation for the incredible generosity our community shows us in support of our mission. We have a great evening planned and expect this year will be the best yet.”
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All proceeds from this signature winter benefit will be used to fund the various projects and programs the Vail Valley Foundation hosts, including YouthPower365, Vail Dance Festival, the Vilar Performing Arts Center, GoPro Mountain Games, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Birds of Prey World Cup and more. The Black Diamond Ball is instrumental in supporting the Vail Valley Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley through leadership in the arts, athletics and education.
Honoring Jay Precourt
The highlight of the ball is the presentation of the 2017 Vail Valley Citizen of the Year Award, which this year will go to Stanford University alum and longtime valley resident Jay Precourt.
Jay and Molly first came to Vail in the 1970s and have been active in the community ever since. In 1994, Precourt became a contributor to the Vail Valley Foundation and played a key role in support of the 2001 Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater capital campaign, the VVF’s YouthPower365 programming and more.
He also recently provided a significant donation to Vail Health (formerly Vail Valley Medical Center), which funded a lifesaving cardiac lab, now known as the Precourt Family Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab. His donation not only supports the Vail Health cardiac program, but it extends the hospital’s endocrinology program, research at the Steadman Institute and supports the renovation and expansion of the Vail Health campus. Precourt’s donation also seeded the first ever capital campaign for Vail Health and Steadman Philippon Research Institute and is a groundbreaking combined effort to make Vail a destination for research and medicine in the years to come.
Precourt has served on the hospital’s board of directors for the past seven years, has been the president of the Eagle Valley Land Trust and has served on the boards of Denver Art Museum Foundation, the Children’s Hospital of Denver, the Historic Denver Foundation and the world-renowned Alley Theater in Houston. Precourt’s generosity spans over multiple organizations in the Vail Valley, including Walking Mountains Science Center, Steadman Research Institute and Bravo! Vail.
Tickets are on sale now through http://www.blackdiamondball.com.
For questions about ticket levels or sponsorship opportunities, contact Whitney Harper at wharper@vvf.org or call 970-777-2015.
