West County’s
Merriest Christmas!!!
Christmas season is always a combination of joy and sentiment. December 2006 was no exception for members of West County Swing Dance Club in St. Louis.
For several years, it has been the club’s practice to provide a complimentary full buffet Christmas Dinner to its members at our annual Christmas Dance. Non-members are welcome, but their admission is $10.00 per person. In 2005, 375 people attended this joyous event. For 2006, our hospitality committee projected a need to prepare for about 425 expected guests. Boy, were we wrong!! A crowd of 504 people showed up.
In the spirit of the season, we suggested that guests bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to local needy children. For each toy contributed, the donor got a prize ticket. Later in the evening, four lucky donors’ tickets were drawn and each got a credit card good for $50.00 worth of gasoline. More than 650 toys, (including a couple of $200.00 bicycles) were delivered to a Court Appointed Special Advocate Center for Abused and Neglected Children and an orphanage.
During the announcements, President Bud Waters introduced 25 newly trained and certified dance instructors, recognized the contributions by our very active Board of Directors, gave a State of the Club report, and drew an attendance prize of $100.00 plus a 50/50 prize of $256.00 more.
Of course, SANTA arrived. Those wishing to, could have their picture taken with the jolly old boy. Our club DJ, Terry James offered up some awesome dance music and our guests filled the dance floor.
Since West County Swing Dance Club’s annual membership fee is only $15.00, and nonmembers would have to pay $10.00 for admission, many non-members joined at our Christmas dance. This year a whopping 58 memberships resulted from this policy in just this one night. By the end of the evening the club’s total membership had swelled to 1051 dancers.
It is deeply gratifying and humbling to know that, with a little thought and a lot of teamwork, so much pleasure can be offered to so many friends.
