– All proceeds directly benefit Valley Industries Sheltered Workshop –
(HAZELWOOD, MO — January XX, 2017) The Mayors’ Shamrock Ball is coming off a terrific year in the revenues raised for Valley Industries Sheltered Workshop, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Hazelwood. In 2017, the event netted Valley Industries about $40,843 which breaks the record set two years ago of $37,683. Seventy-three local companies and organizations participated as event sponsors and more than 430 individual tickets were sold.

Event organizers anticipate this year’s 11th Annual Mayors’ Shamrock Ball, scheduled for Saturday, March 3, 2018, from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. to be the biggest and best one yet. Garden Villas North, 4505 Parker Road, has generously offered its beautiful facility again. In addition, Mayor Norman McCourt of Black Jack, Mayor Tom Schneider of Florissant, Mayor Matthew Robinson of Hazelwood, Mayor James Knowles, III, of Ferguson and Mayor Robert Doerr of Bellefontaine Neighbors will be hosting this event which helps Valley Industries continue to provide meaningful employment for those with developmental disabilities.

“It’s truly a gratifying experience to walk through the production floor and watch Valley Industries’ workers man their stations and do the best of their abilities to keep the assembly line moving until the project is finished,” Hazelwood Mayor Matthew Robinson said. “The Workshop provides these individuals with an opportunity to be gainfully employed and become contributing, tax-paying members of our community.”

Valley Industries first opened its doors for business on March 13, 1967, under the name of Florissant Valley Sheltered Workshop with only 15 employees. Today, the workshop serves almost 200 adults with disabilities in a 60,000 square-foot production facility in Hazelwood. It specializes in contract packaging, kit building, shrink wrapping, collating, assembly, inspections, and blister packaging. Valley Industries is both FDA-certified and ISO 9001:2008 certified, committed to customer satisfaction through audited quality processes.
Over the past decade, the Mayors’ Shamrock Ball has evolved into the St. Louis region’s premier formal “green tie” affair! With its Irish fare of fun, great food, and lively dance music, it has become the place to be and be seen with influential business leaders and elected officials. Individual tickets for $125 each usually sell fast because no one wants to be left out of going to North County’s biggest social soirée. Guests come dressed up to dance the night away, enjoy delicious food, and win fabulous raffle prizes – all for a good cause.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

KSDK-TV’s Chief Meteorologist Craig Moeller enjoyed participating in last year’s program so much that he has agreed to be the program emcee for this year’s event. Moeller and his wife, Anne, both grew up here and have large extended families living throughout the St. Louis area, including Columbia. After graduating from Mizzou with a degree in Atmospheric Science, Moeller went to KUTV in Salt Lake City to start his broadcasting career. He later moved to Norfolk, Va., and spent 19 years there. When a chance to come back to St. Louis and be on KSDK-TV came up, it was too much to pass up. So Moeller is back here in St. Louis with family and friends and he enjoys making special appearances at local charity events.

EVENT SPONSORSHIP AND TICKETS

The Mayors’ Shamrock Ball offers generous sponsorship packages to local businesses, organizations and individuals. Different sponsorships are available at the following levels: Event Sponsor – $5,000; Emerald Sponsor – $2,500; Pot of Gold Sponsor – $1,000; Leprechaun Sponsor – $600; and Shamrock Sponsor – $300. Those interested in one of these sponsorships can pay by check or by credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover). If using a check, please make it payable to Valley Industries’ Mayors’ Shamrock Ball. Mail the check to this address: Valley Industries Sheltered Workshop; 143 B McDonnell Boulevard; Hazelwood, MO, 63042.

Those who purchase event sponsorships also receive individual tickets. Contact Jim Guyre, Valley Industries Executive Director, at (314) 731-1771 for more information on sponsorship perks. So far, the Delmar Gardens Family and Florissant Rotary Club have made commitments to be Event Sponsors at the $5,000 level.

The public can purchase individual tickets online for $125 per person. Go to www.valleyind.net to make the transaction. There is a limit of 400 tickets available. Once they are gone, the event is sold out. So don’t procrastinate too long. Each guest will be treated to a full evening of great food, open bar, attendance prizes, super raffle drawings, and fun dance tunes.

ELABORATE DECORATIONS/FOOD STATIONS

For the eighth consecutive year, the Delmar Garden North Campus will graciously host this charity event at the beautiful Garden Villas North Retirement and Assisted Living Community, located at 4505 Park Road, in Black Jack. In addition to festive decorations, ice sculptures and mood lighting, elegant reception stations featuring popular restaurants and catering services will be scattered throughout the facility. These stations will be serving signature dishes, hors d’oeuvres, pastries and desserts for most of the evening.

Participating restaurants and caterers include the following: Catering to You; Garden Villas North; Helfer’s Pasteries & Deli; Krause Katering & Kakes; Longhorn Steakhouse; Mattingly’s; Papa Murphy’s Pizza; Savoy Banquet Center/Paul’s Market; and Pasta House.

Garden Villa North will partner with Delmar Gardens North skilled nursing center to transform their penthouse apartment into a martini lounge accompanied with wine tasting and assortment of candies in several other apartments.

Photographers will be snapping pictures for guests to take home as mementoes of the event. In addition, coffee connoisseurs will be able to sample richly flavored brews at the Ronnoco Coffee Barista Bar near the front entrance.

BIG BAND ENTERTAINMENT

Since the first Mayors’ Shamrock Ball held 11 years ago, The Bob Kuban Band has stepped up to provide the dynamic, high-energy dance music at each of the annual fund-raisers. His professional musical group will once again keep the place hopping and the dance floor full all evening at this year’s event.
Mayors’ Shamrock Ball Follows Record-Breaking Year in Monies Raised, Add One

CROWNING OF THE KING AND QUEEN

Each year, Valley Industries selects a Gentleman Worker of the Year and a Woman Worker of the Year from a pool of employee candidates who were monthly winners in 2017. This year’s honorees are Nick Wood and Barbara McNairy. They will be crowned as the King and Queen of the 11th Annual Mayors’ Shamrock Ball. Their first act of royalty will be to cut the official Mayors’ Shamrock Ball cake, which will be baked, decorated and donated by Helfer’s Pastries & Deli.

Wood, a native of Bellefontaine Neighbors, has been with Valley for about five years and has earned the admiration and respect of his co-workers and staff. His work ethic is above and beyond approach, and he has a great attendance record. He works independently and stays focused. Wood is also very talented at a multitude of tasks and is a great help to his supervisors. In his free time, he loves to read books about nature and animals, camping, fishing, hunting, and especially enjoys float trips.

McNairy, a Florissant resident, is always happy, smiling, polite and a pleasure to be around. She excels at a lot of different jobs, loves trying new things, and can work independently, being very particular about her work. She also received perfect attendance for three consecutive quarters. Outside of work, McNairy enjoys vacationing with her family, amusement parks and going to church.
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