Elegance, music and merriment all blended to create amemorable evening for the more than 1,000 guests attendingthe 52nd annual Alpha Kappa Alpha Debutante Presentation andBall. the theme for the ball, held on Feb. 26 in the VonBraun Center North Hall, was “An Evening ofElegance.” the elegant affair was the culmination ofmonths of preparation, with 47 young women being presentedto society surrounded by friends and loved ones.
Guests were greeted in the foyer by a lush garden setting,accented with music by harpist Katherine Newman. Thesorority’s colors of pink and green, touched with a bitof silver, radiated throughout the North Hall. Thepresentation stage, draped in the traditional colors,featured a lighted, handcrafted carriage. Tables were toppedwith crisp, white linen. Debutante tables featured crystalcarriages banked with photos of the young women while theguest tables were graced with tall vases full of white callaand pink Asiatic lilies.
Providing musical entertainment were John Miller, pianist,Dr. Horace Rice, percussionist, and Devere Pride, bassist ofEquinox 3. Vocalist was Renee Knight with Katherine Chavisand Elise Morris, accompanists.
Greetings were extended by state Rep. Laura Hall,D-Huntsville; Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; HuntsvilleDistrict 1 City Councilman Dr. Richard Showers; District 5Councilman Will Culver; Madison County District 6Commissioner Robert Harrison; Triana Mayor Mary Caudle, andAdrienne Pope-Kelly, president of the AKA Epsilon GammaOmega chapter. Venita King and Dr. Denver Betts introducedthe debutantes and their presenters.
Academic scholarships, named for former chapter presidentsHarriett Terry, Mary Chambers and Mattie Battle, wereawarded to debutantes Alexis Jones, Kristin Woodard andAyanna Freeman.
Cynthia Holden, ball chair, and co-chair Vanessa Williamspresented the Eva Cathey Award to Keonia Wiggins. Eachdebutante was given a silver charm bracelet as a memento ofthe occasion.
The Rev. Versey Jones gave grace before the guests enjoyed aformal dinner. Dr. Carl Holden Jr. proposed a toast to the2010 debutantes, which was followed by dancing to the musicof the Kelley O’Neal Band of Atlanta.
Following is a list of the debutantes, their parents andtheir escorts:
Cherelle Bailiff, daughter of mr. and Mrs. Milton Bailiff,presented by her father and escorted by Antonio Hargrove;
Brea Basham, daughter of mr. and Mrs. Charles Basham,presented by her father and escorted by Daniel Cole;
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