The Estevan Gymnastics Club hosted its first-ever Princess and Superhero Ball on Sunday, and organizers are calling the event a major success.
The fundraiser supported the club’s regular operating costs and replaced the traditional raffle ticket sales that parents typically participate in. The club usually hosts three fundraisers per gymnastics session, but this year, organizers opted for a different approach.
“We were able to oversell the event, which is great for our first year organizing it,” said Rebecca Fedyk, one of the event’s coordinators. “We had lots of great feedback from the night, and I feel like overall it was a huge success.”
The idea for the event came after organizers considered past fundraisers, including a comedy night and a competition with the Estevan Bruins, but wanted to try something new. A Princess Ball was previously held in Estevan but had not returned in recent years, so they decided it was the perfect time to bring it back.
More than 200 people attended the event, which featured live performances from the Estevan Comprehensive School musical theatre production. There was also a tattoo station, a cake walk, bracelet-making, crafts, balloons, a photography booth, and a dance station. Many of the club’s athletes dressed up as princesses and helped entertain the children.
"One of the biggest highlights was being able to have the high school theater musical production. I felt it could engage the little princesses and superheroes to be involved with the event," said Fedyk. "Another big hit seemed to be the tattoos. All the kids seemed to be lining up to get some tattoos done."
The success of the event was made possible by the generosity of local businesses. Thunder Oilfield Construction was the event sponsor and provided all the extras for the kids to enjoy during the party, including free activities. Their support helped ensure that the funds raised from the event could go directly to the gymnastics club. Additionally, the Southern Plains Co-op donated the meat and cheese trays for the evening.
Parents expressed gratitude for the return of this type of event. Some said they had missed the opportunity to attend a Princess Ball in previous years when their children were younger, so they were excited to experience it now.
With such positive feedback, organizers are hoping to host the event again next year, although likely at a different time due to the club’s busy competition season.
The gymnastics club is now shifting its focus to competitions, with most of its athletes heading to Yorkton this weekend for their first major event of the season.
Fedyk also emphasized the importance of the many volunteers and parents who helped bring the fundraiser together. “It took a lot of work to put this event on, and we had so many amazing parents step up to help in any way they could.”
