Heather Foord, Wayne and Eleanor Kratzmann
Special guest speaker Heather Foord with Mayor Wayne Kratzmann and his wife Eleanor
Maddison McLean, from Accents Catering and Kingaroy State High School Year 10 exchange student Miyu Igarashi  

June 4, 2013

The glittering Mayoral Ball held at Kingaroy Town Hall on Saturday night raised at least $30,000 for South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann’s new Charity Trust.

Speaking after the event, Mayor Kratzmann said although final counting hadn’t been concluded, he estimated the Ball had raised $30,000 to get the Trust off the ground.

The Trust will give grants to the region’s non-profit organisations,  on the proviso that any money they receive must be spent within the South Burnett.

Its funds will be topped up by periodic public events such as Mayoral breakfasts and similar activities.

The Mayoral Ball was predicted to be the highlight of the South Burnett’s social calendar for 2013 … and organisers turned on an impressive show.

Jazz trumpeter James Morrison and his Motown Band were the star entertainment and former Channel 9 newsreader Heather Foord was the compere.

The glittering gala attracted 420 guests, who walked up the red carpet into the Town Hall Forecourt to enjoy pre-dinner champagne and canapes before the big night got underway.

The Kingaroy State High School Dixieland Jazz Band played jazz standards as the guests mingled in the forecourt before entering the lavishly decorated Town Hall.

PS.  Mayor Kratzmann believes the Ball also gave local businesses a nice little boost. Speaking at the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Meet’n’Greet on Monday evening, Cr Kratzmann said local clothing retailers and hair stylists had written “significant amounts of business” in the days leading up to the Ball as patrons splashed out on formal suits, ball gowns, shoes, accessories and hair-dos.

James Morrison
James Morrison and his Motown Band were the musical stars of the evening
(Photo: Treasure Pics and Nancy Jayde Photography) 

Raymond and Letitia Lewandowski, Kingaroy

Eri and John Carey, from Kingaroy 
Mamber for Nanango Deb Frecklington and her husband Jason, with South Burnett Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell and his wife Marion 

Sheree Strauss, of Kingaroy, with Isabella, 13

Danita and Sally Potter, from Kingaroy 
The guests mingled in the Town Hall Forecourt before entering the Town Hall

Kingaroy Lions staffed the bar … Darcy McDonald and Yvonne Dowling, with Yvonne’s daughter Louise

Kingaroy State High School teacher Matt Phillips was leading the school’s Dixieland Jazz Band in the Town Hall Forecourt
Accents Catering supremo Jimmy Stephen was in charge of the catering on the night

Sue and Dave Goddard, from West Wooroolin

Chef Jason Ford was working behind the scenes
Maryanne Pidcock and Pete Eaton, from Kingaroy

Juanita O’Rourke, Daphene Connor, Linda Kerr, Jeff Connor and Judy Robison, from Blackbutt 

Terry Dixon and Julie Taylor-Dixon, from Blackbutt, with Celia and Linwood Rae, Ipswich
Ruth and Barry Lonsdale, from Kingaroy; Cr Barry Green and his wife Mary, from Nanango; with Doris Hewat, of Wolvi
Jane and Dennis Franklin, Jane and Frank Hodgkinson, Phil David and Nicole Connolly, from sponsors Stanwell, were looking forward to a night of great entertainment

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Mayor’s Red Earth South Burnett Flood Appeal

The Mayoral Ball also marked the formal end of the Mayor’s Red Earth South Burnett Flood Appeal which has been raising funds to assist local farmers affected by the 2013 floods in the region.

During the evening Mayor Wayne Kratzmann announced the final figure for the appeal, an impressive $83,069.

He presented a cheque for this amount to Georgie Somerset from the Red Earth Community Foundation.

Money has already begun to be distributed from the funds collected.

“South Burnett Dollars”, which must be spent in the local region, began starting to flow to local businesses last month.

A highlight of the appeal was a raffle of a Nissan Micra car, donated by Huston Motors in Kingaroy.

As dealer principal Mark Huston looked on, special guest Heather Foord drew the winning ticket out of a barrel.

And the winner was … Clive Bishop.

Getting ready for the big night … Mayor Wayne Kratzmann with the cheque for $83,069 which was presented later in the evening to the Red Earth Community Foundation (photo digitally altered)

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