The OU Harry Potter Alliance provided attendees with a magical night of food, dancing and charity with its first ever Yule Ball in Central Venue.
Christmas came early for Harry Potter fans as their dreams of going to the Yule Ball came true.
The Ohio University Harry Potter Alliance hosted the first Yule Ball on Saturday for two charities: the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Athens County Child Advocacy Center.
The Yule Ball is inspired by the fourth Harry Potter book, The Goblet of Fire. It was a way to celebrate the coming together of three wizarding schools — the Durmstrang Institute, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Hogwarts.
Christmas lights hung from the industrial rafters of Central Venue, 29 E. Carpenter St. Christmas trees were placed in every corner of the room. Blue and white balloons littered the dance floor — similar to that of a middle school dance.
Aliza Ali, the leader of the Yule Ball Committee and the philanthropy chair for the OU Harry Potter Alliance, said the group started preparing early the morning of the event. The committee placed all of the decorations and prepared the food and drinks, as well.
The Harry Potter-themed refreshments were a big hit among attendees. There were pretzel wands, Chocolate Frogs and an assortment of vegetables that were named “Professor Sprout’s Herbology Garden.” The Harry Potter Alliance also made butterbeer, pumpkin juice and punches of different colors — red, yellow, blue and green — that represented the different houses of Hogwarts. Ali, a sophomore studying biochemistry and theology, said most of the ideas came from Pinterest, but the group tried to come up with some original ideas too.
“I love how they incorporated all of the Harry Potter elements into the dance,” Marissa Donovan, a junior studying screenwriting and producing, said.
The Yule Ball sold out the night before the big event, but Ali said the group received Facebook messages from people asking if they could still attend. Not having the heart to turn people away last minute, she said they sold more than the amount of tickets they had originally intended. The group wanted to cap the number at 110 because of the amount of space in the venue and refreshments available. Tickets cost $10 for one person or $18 for a couple.
The playlist included songs from NSYNC, Rihanna, The Killers and the Jonas Brothers. Classic dance songs like “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” and “Hey Ya!” made the attendees come to life on the dancefloor. The playlist also included the song from the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: “Do The Hippogriff,” performed by the Weird Sisters.
The OU Harry Potter Alliance also put together a silent auction. Most of the items were donated by local businesses. The most bid-on items were handmade paintings of the house emblems. Lauren Borris, a freshman studying forensic chemistry, said she spent about six hours painting each one.
“I love painting, and it was cheaper for me to make them than to spend our budget money on more decorations,” Borris, who is a member of the OU Harry Potter Alliance, said.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="b32ef20a-a676-11e4-948b-5bf21c5ef865"}}
The Harry Potter Alliance is hopeful that it will receive more money next year to make the Yule Ball even better, Ali said. Ali estimated that the group raised $1,100.
“I really like Harry Potter and since it’s the first one, I thought I’d show my support so that they can continue to have it years to come,” Meghan Donnelly, a freshman studying screenwriting and producing, said.
@georgiadee35
gd497415@ohio.edu
