Tacoma Yacht Club, Metro Parks Tacoma plan Cinderella Ball

April event to be fun, formal experience for people with special needs

Tacoma Yacht Club and Metro Parks Tacoma are working together to produce a Cinderella Ball for young men and women with special needs.

The ball is meant to give participants a fun, formal experience.

“You get to feel like Cinderella for an evening,” said Heather Waddington of Metro Parks Tacoma Specialized Recreation.

The ball will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, in the Tacoma Yacht Club Ballroom, 5401 N. Waterfront Drive, Tacoma. Participants should register in advance by calling Metro Parks’ STAR Center at (253) 404-3950 or registering online at www.cinderellaball.net. The cost is $5.

Inspiration came from a Cinderella Ball that started a decade ago in the Washington, D.C., area. Nancy Williams of the Tacoma Yacht Club, which collaborates with Metro Parks on the annual holiday cruise for individuals with special needs, said the concept took little time to get interest when Yacht Club and Metro Parks staff met to discuss it.

“The idea went from zero to 60 in an hour,” said Williams, who is co-chair with Bill Foulk of the club’s outreach committee.

The ball will feature donated clothing, an honor guard and a Cinderella-style carriage constructed by Foulk and ornamented for the occasion. Volunteers will help with hair, makeup and clothes fittings. One hundred to 200 or more participants are expected.

People may volunteer by contacting STAR Center at (253) 404-3950, emailing tycountreach@gmail.com, or going to www.cinderellaball.net.

Cinderella Ball

When: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26

Where: Tacoma Yacht Club Ballroom, 5401 N. Waterfront Drive

Cost: $5

More information: www.cinderellaball.net,MetroParksTacoma.org/specialized/

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Established in 1907 by Tacoma voters, Metro Parks Tacoma was the first independent park district created in Washington State.

The Tacoma Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in the Pacific Northwest. It was established in 1889, the same year Washington became a state. The club has been providing great opportunities for boating fun, education and outreach to the community for over 125 years.