Local Sports Calendar

The Coles County Arts Council (CCAC) will host its annual gala fundraising event, Prelude, at the Unique Suites Hotel in Charleston on Saturday, March 7.

Prelude is the art council's annual `evening out'. It is set to include a sit down meal, live entertainment and a silent auction featuring original handcrafted work donated by local artists. The doors will open at 6 p. m., with dinner and entertainment to follow.

Tickets are $30 per person or $55 per couple for CCAC members. For non-members, tickets cost $40 each or $75 per couple. Tickets may be purchased online at www.colescountyartscouncil.org and must be reserved by March 1. The event is open to the public, however seating is limited. Formal attire is black tie optional.

The honored guests will be Dr. and Mrs. Vaughn and Ruth Jaenike for their years of continued support of the arts in Coles County. Dinner will be prepared by the Brickhouse Restaurant and entrée choices will include roast beef, chicken cordon bleu, vegetarian lasagna and stuffed pork loin with cornbread dressing.

This year's theme will be "An Enchanted Evening." Entertainment will include scenes from The Lion in Winter as performed by the Charleston Alley Theatre, a performance by The Consort
Universitatus, formerly the Eastern Illinois University Collegium Musicum Consort, featuring medieval Renaissance music, and a display of Elizabethan Ballet from the DanceLife Center.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit CCAC programs, including Kid's Arts in the Park, Fourth of July Chalk-In, Honors Recital, City Art Gallery, Artist Day in the Garden, Biennial Exhibition Merit Award, Drawing/Watercolor: Illinois, Memoir Writing Group, 4-H Visual Arts Award, and Embarrass Valley Film Festival, as well as art, dance, music and theater scholarships.

Donations for the evening's auctions will be accepted through March 5.

Please contact Jennifer Bryant at il.bel.sogno@gmail.com or go to www.colescountyartscouncil.org for more information about Prelude and ticket purchases. Inquires about donations should be directed to either Jennifer Bryant or Daiva Markelis at dmmarkelis@eiu.edu.