MOOSE JAW — For the last two years, princes and princesses from far away realms have been keeping a close eye on the pandemic, just waiting for a chance to get back in public and have a chance to mingle with their admirers.
This past weekend at the Heritage Inn ballroom in Moose Jaw, it was their chance to do so once again.
And they came out in force.
From Cinderella to Elsa, Jasmine to Ariel, and even Gaston and The Beast, all made the journey to Moose Jaw for the return of the Little Princess Ball on Saturday and Sunday evenings at the Heritage Inn.
To say it led to many a magical moment for the hundreds of youngsters and their parents who took part in the festivities would be a bit of an understatement -- the wide eyes and expressions of amazement from the little ones said everything that needed to be said.
That’s what it’s all about according to The Fairy Godmother, who once again took on the guise of Princess Ball organizer Elaine Crocker for the event.
“We’re so relieved that we finally get to come back, we’ve missed this just as much as little princesses have and it’s just amazing,” Crocker said during a brief break from signing hundreds of autographs for the princesses.
“I’m more shocked at the mommy’s faces this year,” she added with a laugh. “With Beauty and the Beast being here, when they found out they were as excited as the little ones, it was ‘oh my gosh Belle’s here’. And the little kids always amaze us with their look of awe on their faces, it’s always ‘oh my, OH MY!’”
Folks walking into the ballroom were immediately greeted by a receiving line of Disney princesses, who were more than happy to pose for photos with the little ones. Then it was on to the wide range of activities throughout the evening, offering an amazing experience for everyone involved.
It’s all the result of a remarkable effort that begins months before the doors first open -- planning begins in September, January is when fabrication starts and then the real work begins.
“Then three days before the ball, we usually come in on Wednesday night and we start,” Crocker explained. “This year, we finished at two o’clock on Friday morning, so it took us that long to get everything ready. But we were able to get a couple of hours of sleep and we’re good!”
Tickets for both nights were sold out, something that didn’t come as much of a surprise given the long wait for the return of the Ball.
“Everybody is so happy to be out of their house that it took no time to sell out the second night and the community support has been amazing as usual,” Crocker said. “We put a cry out for help and we get a response immediately. The community has been so helpful for us and it’s amazing.”
The whole project acts as a fundraiser for the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, which puts the funds towards neo-natal care on an annual basis. This time around, proceeds will go towards purchasing a new incubator to help the 500-plus babies born at the Wigmore Hospital every year.
“The wonderful thing is each and every year, the Little Princess Ball funds go to help new moms and their babies in this community, and we can’t begin to say how much this has impacted [neo-natal care],” said Kelly McElree, executive director with the Moose Jaw Health Foundation.
“I would say on behalf of all the doctors and nurses and everyone who works at the hospital and all those moms and babies, just a big thank you to the Princess Ball and for the tremendous support of everyone in the community… it just means so much and it’s such a wonderful feeling to see all these amazing faces having such an incredible time.”
