Mothers and sons had a lot of fun at last year’s inaugural Mother and Son Date Knight.
The event went so well that organizer Heather Chase said that night she wanted to do it again.
This year’s event is set for 6 to 9 p.m. March 4 at Girls Inc. of Jackson County, 956 N. O’Brien St., Seymour.
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The “knight in shining armor” themed event is open to mothers and sons of all ages. It features dancing, disc jockey entertainment, photos of mothers and sons, refreshments, games and door prizes. Offering their services for free again this year are disc jockey Josh Clark with Music in Motion and photographers Ernie and Janet Davidson.
Advance tickets are $10 and may be purchased from Chase or her committee members, Amy Peters, Tiffani Calhoun or Diane Abbott.
New this year is the option to purchase tickets with a debit or credit card or PayPal. After emailing [email protected], Chase will respond with an invoice.
Since Feb. 1, more than 100 people have purchased tickets, Chase said. They will be $15 at the door.
“We just could not believe that’s where we were already at,” Chase said of ticket sales. “I’m getting emails from moms who are saying, ‘I couldn’t come last year, but my friends came, and we can’t wait to come this year.’”
Along with local residents, Chase said she has had calls and emails from people in Brown County, Columbus, North Vernon, Scottsburg and Greenwood asking about tickets.
Girls Inc. has its annual Father Daughter Dance on Feb. 18, but Chase said she doesn’t know of any events in the area for mothers and sons.
Being the mother of a boy, Chase created and organized last year’s event, which drew about 200 people and raised more than $1,700 for the Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108’s Cops and Kids program.
“It was such a positive turnout, and it had such a positive impact on the kids that were there,” she said. “For about six weeks after the dance, I was receiving text messages and emails nonstop of ‘Thank you for giving me time with my son. We had so much fun.’ It was a really nice time for moms and their sons to go out.”
Sixty-four door prizes were handed out to mothers and sons last year, and Chase is hoping to have more this year. Anyone wanting to make a donation for door prizes should contact Chase.
The event was moved from late April to early March this year because Chase said several people weren’t able to attend last year because of a conflict with the baseball season.
The location of the event also changed, moving from the Boys and Girls Club of Seymour to Girls Inc.
One thing that remains the same is that proceeds go to the Cops and Kids program. Formerly known as Shop with a Cop, the program pairs children with local police officers on a shopping trip to Walmart in December. This past year, it served a record 107 children.
Chase said Mother and Son Date Knight is one of several events conducted throughout the year to support Cops and Kids.
“The more money we raise, the more we can give back in December when it comes to that Cops and Kids shopping day,” she said.
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What: Mother and Son Date Knight
When: 6 to 9 p.m. March 4
Where: Girls Inc. of Jackson County, 956 N. O’Brien St., Seymour
Who: For mothers and sons of all ages
Cost: $10 per person in advance or $15 at the door; contact Heather Chase, Amy Peters, Tiffani Calhoun or Diane Abbott if paying by cash or check; email [email protected] to pay by debit or credit card or PayPal
Features: Dancing, disc jockey entertainment, photos of mothers and sons, refreshments, games and door prizes
Help out: To make a donation for door prizes, contact Heather Chase at 812-569-0112
Proceeds: Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108’s Cops and Kids program
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