Winter Gala set for Feb. 8 will benefit local shelters

Editor’s note: This version corrects that the Xi Tau Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi is not associated with Montana State University-Northern

Havre’s Xi Tau Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi is hosting a Winter Gala Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Havre Eagles Club.

Cocktails will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a prime rib or shrimp dinner at 6:30. A silent auction is set for the evening and the band “The Max” will be performing after dinner.

“The winter gala is a cabin fever, kind of get out, dine and dance (event),” Beta Sigma Phi Christie Johnson said. “We figured with the cold months, people just get locked up in their homes because there really isn’t a lot to do in the evenings during the winter months.”

She said items the organization has received so far for the silent auction include a year’s worth of pizza donated by Pizza Hut, a handcrafted knife donated by Lincoln Holt of Montana Hammer, a booze basket from the Havre Tavern Association, a kitchen knife set from Havre Realty, handmade blankets, baskets and quilted placemats, and specialty cup sets.

People interested in donating items can contact Johnson at 945-2119, or they can talk to any other Beta Sigma Phi member.

Pre-sale tickets are $30 and $35 at the door, and a table of eight is $250, which includes a complimentary bottle of wine. Tickets are available at the Havre Eagles Club and Baldwin Insurance Co.

All proceeds collected this year will go to two local animal rescue and shelter organizations.

“Our proceeds generated will be going to RezQ Dogs as well as the Friends of The Havre Animal Shelter. As a group, we voted unanimously supporting these people that oftentimes, more so than not, have to take from their personal incomes to purchase food, pay for medical expenses — among other things — for homeless animals that they take in and care for until they are able to find their forever homes,” Johnson said. “We are all animal lovers and it truly is a pleasure to be able to do this for others that do so much for our four-legged friends.”

Montana has 42 Beta Sigma Phi chapters, 5,261 chapters in the United States and 802 chapters in Canada, she added.

Beta Sigma Phi is an international, non-academic, women’s sorority, that has over 200,000 members in 32 different countries around the world, she said, adding that they were founded in 1931, by Walter W. Ross.

“Our chapter meets monthly while other chapters meet two times a month,” she said. “Beta is about sisterhood, and friendship, we are a social group and not considered a service group, however, our chapter enjoys doing a bit of ‘service.’”