For the second consecutive year, young girls throughout the Jacksonville area will have the opportunity to enjoy a special day with the special man in their lives at the Nemours Princess Ball.
To take place Saturday, Feb. 9 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., the daddy-daughter dance will once again be held at the University of North Florida’s Adam W. Herbert University Center. Several “princesses” from the UNF Panhellenic Association will help to host the event and take pictures with the young girls in attendance. The event will also feature an interactive DJ who will play games and conduct various contests. All proceeds will benefit the Nemours Children’s Specialty Care Clinic’s hematology and oncology program.
“It’s a special time,” said Hilary Keeley, chair of the Nemours Fund for Children’s Health Women’s Committee and chief legal officer for Florida Operations of the Nemours Foundation. “There’s a unique bond between little girls and their dads, and it’s just an opportunity to be able to celebrate that as well as be able to help a good cause.”
Keeley noted that grandfathers, uncles, brothers or other special friends are also welcome at the event, in addition to fathers. The target age for girls is 2 to 10, but Keeley said anyone on the First Coast is welcome.
The event will also include a silent auction, raffle, kid-friendly buffet and photo booth. Ponte Vedra resident Rue Andeer — a cancer survivor who received treatment at Nemours — will serve as the honorary hostess, share about her experiences and speak to the impact of fundraising events such as the Princess Ball.
Funds from the Princess Ball in 2018 supported the art and music therapy program at Nemours. Keeley said last year’s event was a big success, noting that several attendees told her it was “one of the best days they’ve had.”
“I remember at one point, the song, ‘My Girl,’ was being played, and I looked across the dance floor at all these little girls and their dads or grandpas or uncles or brothers,” Keeley said. “The dance floor was full, and the little girls’ faces were just beaming.”
Funds from the event this year, said Keeley, are expected to support the development of more robust survivorship programs for children and their families once they’ve completed treatment.
After patients finish treatment at Nemours, their interaction with the hematology and oncology program doesn’t stop, said Keeley. For the next several years, their visits progress from monthly to yearly, and because of the therapy they received during treatment, they may also have to see other specialists. As a result, Keeley said the survivorship program “allows for there to be a patient-centered approach to make sure you’re not left alone as you continue your journey.”
Tickets for the Princess Ball are $100 per couple, and $25 for each additional child. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.nemours.org/jaxprincessball.
