Fur Ball’s Continued Success!

While final calculated statistics were not available by the time The Loop had to go to press, preliminary estimates suggest that this year’s VIPP Fur Ball, themed "The Grooviest Fur Ball Ever", was yet another success.

Technically, attendance was very slightly down from last year although one had to refer to the hard numbers to detect it. To the naked eye the event appeared jammed with attendees, energy and participation was very high, and most bidding was spirited. In keeping with the theme, ‘fros, peace signs, shaded glasses, headbands, go-go boots and tie-dyed outfits were everywhere; the impression was that the great majority of attendees were participating enthusiastically in theme-related costuming. Estimates suggest that there were approximately 260 paid attendees and about 40 working volunteers (who also generally participated in the festivities and fund-raising events). Organizers attribute the very slight reduction in attendance to the fact that the weekend was "busy" with other activities.

Financially, even with the slightly reduced attendance, the estimated financials were a virtual redux of last year. The amount-bid-to-estimated-value ratio was positive and within a few percentage points of last year, and the proceeds from the Fur Ball overall, while estimated to be a couple of thousand greater than last year, hovered around the same $75,000 ballpark. This revenue will account for approximately half of the funds needed by VIPP for their annual operating costs with the needed balance to be brought in by matching funds and other charitable giving.