As a teenager, Lori Berardi Gemondo remembers how excited her family was when the invitation to the Holly Ball came in the mail.

 

“It was a big deal,” she said. “Whoever got their money in first was listed first on the program.”

 

Dressed in a slinky black gown with rhinestone spaghetti straps, Gemondo attended her first Holly Ball in the early 1970s with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Henry Berardi.

 

Needless to say, by the time she was old enough to take an active role in planning the holiday formal and United Hospital Center auxiliary fundraiser, she was thrilled.

 

In 1987, she co-chaired the Holly Ball under Mrs. Lanny Doerr. The following year, she was in the driver’s seat, serving as chairperson for the first time.

 

“My goal was to help the hospital,” she said. “Every time I chaired, my whole philosophy was that – money-wise – it was all for the hospital. Everything was donated.”

 

With young children at home, Gemondo became inspired to build that year’s Holly Ball around a “Babes in Toyland” theme.

 

“We watched the movie and I thought – ‘Wow – what a neat thing,’” she said.

 

She began making plans to transform the Nathan Goff Armory into a magical playland for area couples.

 

“I wanted to involve the community – and did a lot of begging for donations,” she said. “Delegating was very huge. I got the stuff and had someone in charge of everything.”

 

As the weeks peeled off the calendar, all the elements began falling into place.

 

“If you can imagine, all the bleachers in the armory were covered with paper. We made it look like walls,” Gemondo said. “We had a huge castle built for the stage with all the lumber donated by Hartland Planing Mill. An artist donated his time, came in and drew it up and contractors came in, donating their time to build it.”

 

The entry way featured a life-sized gingerbread house, accented with white trees decked in miniature white lights and strings of real gumdrops. McDonalds donated tiny toys which were placed on wreaths and poinsettias were stacked on an apparatus borrowed from the Shinnston pumpkin farm.

 

“It looked like a poinsettia tree,” she said.

 

Actually there were a pair of poinsettia trees – and plenty of other holiday trees.

 

“All the area florists came and decorated a tree. They did whatever they wanted to – and then we sold them all, making even more money for the hospital,” Gemondo said.

 

Centerpieces were also created and sold. Completing the look were a multitude of colorful helium balloons and characters. Area high school students dressed as toy soldiers, baby dolls and other whimsical characters which meandered through the toy land, greeting astonished guests.

 

“In the center of the dance floor was a huge holly ball we made out of chicken wire and white lights,” Gemondo said.

 

About 400 couples attended the formal that year. In those days, the Holly Ball was a dance only. Couples brought their own spirits and beverages and often went out to dinner prior to coming to the formal. In years past, they had sometimes enjoyed a little too much holiday spirit and didn’t always make it to the dance at all. To try to remedy that situation, Gemondo and her committee made appetizer trays available for purchase at the dance. Prepared by Foodland, those trays also generated extra funds for the UHC Auxiliary. When it was all said and done, the event raised $35,000.

 

Nearly 30 years ago, that was a lot of money, Gemondo said.

 

The memories are vivid and her passion for the Holly Ball and what it represents are deep, she said.

 

“We haven’t gone to the past few because of the death of my dad, but we’ve only missed three or four Holly Balls since I went with my parents while I was in high school,” she said. “Back then, that's just what you did.” 

 

The 55th Annual Holly Ball will be held Dec. 12 at Village Square Conference Center and will feature vintage decor and celebration. All past Holly Ball chairs and their work will be honored. Guests will be greeted by the Madrigals of Clarksburg as they enter a walk down memory lane. Providing music will be the Santa Cruz Band and the Mon River Big Band. Dinner will be served. Read more about this year's Holly Ball event HERE. Make reservations by contacting the Auxiliary to United Hospital Center 681-342-1640. The cost to attend is $90 per person. It is appropriate to wear semi-formal to formal attire. 

 

Editor's Note: The photos above were taken at past recent Holly Ball events. The newspaper clipping, dated Sept. 18, 1988, shows Lori Berardi Gemondo (left) and members of the Holly Ball stage construction committee Albert Mazza, construction company owner; Charlie Cowger, artist; Bob Weese, assistant artist; and Rosemary Seamon, Holly Ball vice chair. The article indicates that work had been ongoing through the summer months of 1988 and that the professionals had all donated their time and talents for the fundraiser.