Period music filled the air of the elaborately decorated rooms of Davies Center as attractively dressed adults tasted authentic food, attempted complicated dances and enjoyed each other’s company at the Viennese Ball last weekend.

Effectively re-creating another era doesn’t come easily, however, as the numerous volunteers and workers will testify.

Countless hours of work and planning went into the occasion, not to mention the efforts of the weekend’s staff.

About 40 students fulfilled this employed function in an unusual way by not accepting money for free ball tickets for their efforts. Instead, they worked the tables, bars and cash registers on behalf of their student organizations.

One group that raised almost $200 by bussing tables and running the torte table was the Lighthouse Society, said senior treasurer Sarah Sward.

“It was neat to see the working side of V-ball,” she said. “Working behind the scenes is much different from attending the ball as a guest.”

Even though they don’t see any personal revenue from their work, organizations such as the Lighthouse Society benefit financially from their members’ untaxed income earned at the Viennese Ball. This year, five student groups took advantage of this fundraising option.

In addition to the Lighthouse Society, an anti-abortion advocacy group, Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed national fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, a social fraternity, the women’s rugby club and Student Impact, sent members to work at the Viennese Ball on
their behalf.

“It’s something that comes up every year, so you can plan on it,” senior John Brockman, the fundraising chair for Phi Gamma Delta said.

He said this fundraiser didn’t require too much work on his part, since the Sodexho staff did most of the organizing. Brockman added that his group has been fundraising through Viennese Ball for at least four years.

The situation is slightly different for the Lighthouse Society, which has only been in existence for one year. Sophomore Carla Haworth, president of the Lighthouse Society, said the group is still trying to get off its feet and is required to host at least two fundraisers a year because it receives a Wisconsin Right for
Life grant.

The schedule was tight for senior Anna Gibson and the seven other members of the women’s rugby club who worked on Friday night. Gibson, the fundraising coordinator for the group, said the team had to play in a tournament on Saturday morning, but needed the $200 or more it earned at the Viennese Ball to pay for travel expenses and hosting future tournaments.

Other plans for the money varied among the groups that worked at the Ball. While the Lighthouse Society is saving up for speakers’ fees they plan to host next year, Student Impact is focusing on recruitment.

“We just did an everyblugold.net campaign and it cost us a lot of money for T-shirts and printing materials, so the fundraiser will help with that cost as well as help fund future campaigns,” said sophomore Susan Peterson, the co-leader of SI’s public relations team.

This Christian organization raised around $300 through the 10 people who served in various capacities over the weekend, Peterson said.

One group had the advantage of numbers, turning out a large percentage of its membership at the Viennese Ball. Brockman said it’s generally easy to earn a lot of money over the weekend, because more participants mean more money for the organization.

Thirteen of the 15 Phi Gamma Delta members worked the weekend as bartenders, bar runners, bussers and setup assistants, he said, earning around $500 for the fraternity’s service, recruitment and leadership seminar funds.

Yet these organizations’ efforts weren’t all about the final dollar amount. Most of the students who fundraised through the Viennese Ball had a great time, and plan to use the ball in future years for their respective fundraising campaigns.

“It was definitely worth working and knowing you were not going to get paid,” Peterson said. “Everyone who worked seemed to be in ‘awesome spirits.’ ”

Having fun seemed to be on Haworth’s mind as well at the Viennese Ball. She said she enjoyed seeing everyone dressed up, and the people she worked with were great.

However, she had one gripe about her fundraising experience at the ball.
“It was hard to work around the cakes, because I wanted to eat them.”