‘Masquerade’ fundraiser had less philanthropic roots
Shepherdstown is once again the home to Identity Crisis, a fundraiser started as a fun girl’s night out and that has evolved into something much bigger with a noble cause.
This year marks the 8th annual Identity Crisis and will see attendees participating in an “Enchanted Masquerade: Fantasy Comes to Life.” The event is coming on Aug. 12 and there is still time to purchase tickets for the VIP pre-party event to be held once again at Shepherd’s Cove.
Proceeds from this event will go to support an organization called Breast Cancer Awareness-Cumberland Valley. This group offers support and assistance to cancer patients at no cost, serving the eastern panhandle counties of Jefferson, Morgan and Berkeley and select counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The mission of BCA-CV is to strive through community involvement to make understood the impact of breast cancer and ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone. For more information about this organization, visit www.bcacv.org.
All 3 staff members of BCA-CV are breast cancer survivors and at least one of the staff or board members to come to Identity Crisis every year, according to Crisis organizer Tara Sanders-Lowe, director of The Victory Project.
The Victory Project is a nonprofit organization begun in 2015, through which taxable donations for the event can be made.
The BCA-Cumberland Valley honors that donations made through the venue come back to help local recipients.
This year’s event begins at The Cove with the VIP pre-party. From this venue, attendees will travel into town and embark on a tour around town. The VIP group will be dropped off in front of the Shepherdstown police station and the kickoff will be a parade down main street to the red carpet area at the corner of Princess and German streets.
Throughout the evening, local businesses will provide live music and dancing as well as special events for the Masquerade-goers. Beginning at approximately 7 p.m., Saturday, there will be live music at the Mecklenburg Inn, Domestic and the Devonshire. There will also be DJ’s and dancing at Mi Degollado and later at the Town Run Tap House.
A photo booth and art show will be held at Shepherdstown’ Community Club’s War Memorial Building on Friday evening prior to the Saturday event for those who are unable to participate. The Retrospective Photo Show and Silent Auction provides another venue to donate to the cause and offers a kid-friendly portion of the weekend, Lowe said.
Even if one cannot attend the event this, year, donations, personal or corporate, are always welcome. A non-profit account up online has been set up to take donations right off of the website www.identitycrisiswv.com/tickets-donations.
Lowe shared that there are over 40 volunteers this year helping with the event that has grown in magnitude each year. In addition, there are financial sponsors, food donations, volunteer staff, and an amazing amount of in-kind sponsorship (paparazzi, videography, printing, venue space, rentals, lighting, flowers and decor and more.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit identitycrisiswv2017.eventbrite.com.