YMCA's Giving Gala Set for This Weekend

The 's fifth-annual Giving Gala's this Saturday, and while it may be among Plainfield's top social gatherings, it's one of its biggest fundraisers as well.

Money brought in from the $125-a-ticket event goes helps provide scholarships for families with financial problems so their children can attend the Y's summer camps, before- and after-school programs and other activities.

The goal is to ensure no one is turned away from the Y for the inability to pay, marketing director Carolyn Hamilton said. 

Tickets are still available for the event, being held at the and featuring a formal dinner, dancing and silent and live auctions. More than 300 tickets have already been sold, Hamilton said.

New this year are cash raffle tickets, which can be purchased regardless of whether someone attends the gala or not. Only 400 of the $25 tickets will be sold, with three cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000 and $500 offered.

"We only have a few left, which is a great problem to have," Hamilton said.

The silent auction begins at 6 p.m., and there will be live music provided by the Connie and Johnny Jazz Combo until the start of dinner at 7 p.m. The menu includes sea bass with citrus beurre blanc, filet of beef with garlic herb butter sauce, steamed asparagus, au gratin potatoes with smoked gouda, and chantilly creme with fresh berries.

Speakers begin at 7:45 p.m., including a keynote address by a woman whose family benefitted from a scholarship, followed by the live auction and dancing, with music provided by Tthe Paul Windsor Orchestra.

"There's going to be great entertainment," Hamilton said. "This is one of the premier events in Plainfield."

For more information, go to www.givinggala.org.