The Bal du Bois is an annual

debutante ball A debutante ball, sometimes called a coming-out party, is a formal ball that includes presenting debutantes during the season, usually during the spring or summer. Debutante balls may require prior instruction in social etiquette and appropriate ...

held at the

Country Club of Virginia {{Short description, Country club in Richmond, Virginia, USA The Country Club of Virginia is a private club in the Richmond, Virginia, area, with three eighteen-hole golf courses. CCV, which was organized in 1908, has always been one of the larges ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. The ball serves as a fundraiser for the Junior Board of Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Hospital. Participants are referred to as sponsors and any young woman, who is a rising senior in college, is eligible to participate. Sponsors are solicited from all Richmond area high school graduating classes. Since its founding in 1957, the ball has raised over $3.8 million for Sheltering Arms. Along with the

Richmond German Christmas Dance The Richmond German Christmas Dance is an annual ball held during the Christmas season at The Commonwealth Club in Richmond, Virginia. Founded in 1866, shortly after the end of the American Civil War, it is the oldest debutante ball in Virginia. ...

, it is one of the premier Virginian debutante balls.

History

In 1957 the Junior Board of Sheltering Arms created a debutante ball at the Country Club of Virginia to help raise money for their physical rehabilitation hospital. The ball was named "Bal du Bois" ( French for "Woodland Ball") due to the forest surrounding the country club. The first ball was held on June 17, 1957 and raised $8,500 for the hospital. Debutantes, called "sponsors", are traditionally alumnae of St. Catherine's School, an all-girls private,

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

school in Richmond. In 1987 the ball took place on the first Friday in June. Since then it has been held on the Friday after

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

. The age requirement for debutantes was raised from eighteen years of age to twenty-one years of age. Since its inception, the ball has raised over $3.8 million for Sheltering Arms.

Notable debutantes

Tinsley Mortimer Tinsley Randolph Mortimer (née Mercer; born August 11, 1975) is an American socialite and television personality. She is known for starring in the reality television series ''High Society'' and ''The Real Housewives of New York City''. Early l ...

, American socialite, designer, and television personality

References

{{Reflist 1957 establishments in Virginia Annual events in Virginia Balls in the United States Charity events in the United States Culture of Richmond, Virginia Dance in Virginia Debutante balls Episcopal Church in Virginia History of Richmond, Virginia Summer events in the United States History of women in Virginia