Inaugural Ball History – Why We Do It

Since 1933, the Junior League of Raleigh (JLR) has been honored to host the Inaugural Ball, celebrating the newly elected governor and council of state. Thanks to the generosity of the incoming governor and the volunteer efforts of League members, the JLR has been able to host the Inaugural Ball as a fundraiser, supporting community and statewide programs and projects of the Junior League of Raleigh that benefit the citizens of North Carolina.

Since the 1930s, North Carolina’s Inaugural Balls have raised money for many worthy organizations serving at risk children, including hospitals and other health agencies, public school programs, community centers and child abuse agencies. Some organizations have been local to Wake County while others have been statewide in scope.

Notable projects include the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wake County, North Carolina Smart Start, Communities in Schools of North Carolina, Heritage Park Community Learning Center and Natural Learning Initiatives, and SAFEchild, the Junior League of Raleigh’s signature project.

This year, following extensive research on community needs, proceeds from the 2009 Inaugural Ball will benefit the Center for Community Leadership, the League’s gift to the North Carolina community. This new Center will offer a wide variety of training programs, shared meeting space and networking opportunities to non-profit organizations throughout the state. It will help other non-profits better serve their communities and enable the League to strengthen its existing programs and services. In addition to the new Center for Community Leadership, a portion of proceeds from the Inaugural Ball will be used to continue to fund JLR’s community grants.

The Junior League of Raleigh is an organization of 1,750 women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The JLR is the only League in the country to host an Inaugural Ball.

For the past 75 years, the JLR has invested thousands of volunteer hours to organize the Inaugural Ball. Through our state’s outpouring of support and dedication to voluntarism, the citizens of North Carolina are helping the JLR achieve its vision.

Let’s have a ball!