Margaritaville Resort Casino and Tia’s Hope, a foundation dedicated to providing special memories for children spending part of their childhoods in hospitals, will host their 4th annual formal ball for all children ages 5-21 with special needs, “Once Upon A Time,” Saturday, June 8, 2019, at the El Karubah Shriners Temple.
Tickets are available at Eventbrite.com, search “Once Upon a Time Memories Dance”. Space is limited.
Squires will again lend their tuxedos and staff to dress the boys in style for this year’s event. The girls attending will get to “shop” for their favorite dress from donations made from the community, and alterations will be provided if needed. On the day of the ball, all participating girls are invited to the “Memories Beauty Shop” at Shriners Hospital, where local hair stylists, nail techs and makeup artists from Roots and Boots Salon, Nails of Grace, and the Spa & Salon at Margaritaville, will volunteer their services. Once at the dance, the children will be picked up by Rose Neath Funeral Home’s limo and driven to the entrance for a “Red Carpet” arrival.
The dance will feature music, dancing, crafts, video games provided by Bayou Xtreme Gaming, face painting by Becky Meziere and much more. The national award-winning NWLA UberGeeks Cosplay Team will arrive in style to dance the night away in their best fairy tale, Disney, and comic book character costumes.
The Tia’s Hope Foundation was founded in honor of Tia Palermo. Tia was diagnosed with non- Hodgkin’ lymphoma in 2001 and bravely battled the disease for over 11 years. Tia always felt that there should be something special for children who had to spend a part of their youths in the hospital. She took great joy in sharing special experiences or as she called them “Memory Moments,” with that in mind Tia’s Hope was established by Tia’s family to honor her wish that children have more of these unique and positive memories.
Margaritaville is a proud sponsor of Tia’s Hope, contributing an annual donation of $75,000 for the foundation’s efforts in creating “Memory Moments.” In 2016, El Karubah Shriners potentate, Jerry DeFatta and Ashley Henning, Executive Assistant of Margaritaville and Tia’s Hope Ambassador for the Shreveport-Bossier area came together and created one of their biggest events the “Memories in the Moonlight Dance.” Volunteers with the El Karubah Shriners, Margaritaville Resort Casino, and the 307th Bomb of Barksdale Air Force Base will assist with this year’s event.
