By Henry Bryant
Tickets for the annual BATL Gala, one of the popular programs of the Battle of Atlanta Commemoration each July, went on sale on June 1. A discount on the tickets is being offered only until July 1. Until then, individual tickets will be $50 or $450 for a table of 10. Many people get together with friends to buy a table and have a party within the party. After July 1 each ticket increases to $55 or $500 per table. This year will be even more fun with a dance floor and the music of Nat George and His Band.
Mr. George is a Winsong recording artist and the star of “The Sam Cook Story: A Change is Gonna Come.” He is famous for his smooth vocal stylings and sweet soulful music with a beat. Also featured in the evening entertainment is BATL’s favorite tenor Sam Hagan who will again perform the Civil War Trilogy made famous by Elvis Presley. Capital City Bank has made this entertainment possible.
The Gala is BATL’s one fundraising event. In addition to food and good times, it features a wide-ranging silent auction with a variety of unique offerings. This year the fundraising becomes even more important for BATL’s future, as the group is in the midst of a drive to restore the two Battle of Atlanta Monuments that are located in our neighborhood. They are the only two battlefield monuments in Atlanta. Both are over 100 years old and are in dire need of preservation. The disassembly of the monuments, treatment, and resetting will cost over $190,000 according to an extensive study by preservation professionals completed in 2012. (BATL is now a 501c3 and donations to the cause are tax exempt.) Attendance at the Gala will help these efforts.
Besides music, dancing, and competitive shopping for a good cause, the BATL Gala offers classic southern dining in the gracious surroundings of the East Lake Golf Club. Designed by famous architects Neel Reid and Phillip Shutze, the Tudor styled clubhouse sits on a lake at the center of the historic home golf course of legend Bobby Jones. Trophies from the Grand Slam are still on display as is other memorabilia. Golf greats of today like Tiger Woods still play East Lake each year for the Tournament Championship. Since the Club is private it is not often that non-members are allowed inside of this architecturally significant golfing sanctum.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.batlevent.org or by calling 404-556-1942. Tickets are limited for this fun way to commemorate the 149th Anniversary of this historic event, and organizers hope for a sellout.
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