By Adam Dodson | The Selma Times-Journal

The first annual Masquerade for the Cure took place Saturday night with live music, catered food and festive masks decorating the scenery and the faces of the attendees. Hosted by community organizations Entune and Blackbelt Benefit Group, the masquerade gala featured around 100 attendees ready for a night of fun while supporting a good cause.

According to vice president of Entune, Sharesha Sneed, the event was made possible after the idea was conjured up by Alvin Craig, who serves as president of Entune, in late 2017.

With silent auctions, donation forms and ticket prices of $30 per person or $50 a couple, Entune and the BBG wanted to raise significant funds towards something they both believed would be beneficial.

They found this mutual cause with the Selma-Dallas County American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

According to Sneed, all the money raised will go toward the local fight against cancer, and she believes the event provided a fun atmosphere to support the fight.

“I thought the event went great. We wanted people to get out and dress up and have fun. Since it was the first event, I was worried if it was all going to come together, and it did,” Sneed said.

Sneed’s satisfaction with the masquerade ball is due to her satisfaction of the multiple facets that made it a memorable event.

For entertainment, Entune entrusted the services of Funk Nation, who played through the night, with the event ending at midnight. For the catering, Dallas County resident Lorene Brown provided her treats of punches, finger foods and other creations to the participants in the gala.

Along with the food, drink, music and auctions, professional photographers were stationed at the front of the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center, where the masked attendees and their dates could get themselves a portrait to remember the night.

For Sneed and the other members of Entune, their commitment to the success of the first annual gala stems from their desire to keep Masquerade for a Cure going for years to come.

“We wanted the first time to be great so people would come back for next year, which we are planning on doing,” said Sneed. “I wouldn’t have had this turn out any other way.”

While she says they are happy with the amount of money raised for Relay for Life, Sneed says the official numbers are not yet known.

Entune and the Blackbelt Benefit Group will both continue their support of initiatives and programs in the Dallas County throughout 2018, and into the second annual Masquerade for a Cure planned for 2019.