Annual We Love Northern Ball raises $36,000 for scholarships

More than $36,000 for student scholarships was raised at the We Love Northern Ball Saturday night.

"We had 180 people at the ball, and that's a good number to have," said Jim Bennett, executive director of the MSU-Northern Alumni Foundation. "It's kind of a formal affair, and we don't want to pack people in."

"I think people have a good time and enjoyed themselves," he said.

A new format was tried this year, Bennett said, and it appeared to be successful.

There were no auctions throughout the night. Instead, as people entered, they were asked to make a pledge to student scholarships. Nearly everyone did, he said.

Only once during the night was there a plea for donations.

People played games to win some of the prizes that were donated. Bennett said.

The new format gave people a chance to talk and socialize, and people seemed to like that, Bennett said.

"You want people to have a positive experience while they are on campus," he said.

Bennett said the ball would not have been possible without the support of community residents, faculty, staff and students who volunteered time to put on the program.