Shriners Pirates prepare for inaugural Buccaneer Ball

The Alhambra Pirates invite local families to dress like pirates and join them for their inaugural Bucaneer Ball to help support the Shriners' pediatric health outreach efforts.
The Alhambra Pirates invite local families to dress like pirates and join them for their inaugural Bucaneer Ball to help support the Shriners' pediatric health outreach efforts.

The Alhambra Pirates, a unit of the local Alhambra Shriners, are hosting their inaugural Buccaneer Ball Saturday, Oct. 21. The pirate-themed parent-child dance will be complete with a pirate ship and costume contest to encourage guests to get in to the swashbuckling spirit.

Even the food will be pirate-themed: goldeloon cookies, "chicken-walk-the-planks" and cannonball meatballs, not to mention the chocolate fountain.

Music will be provided by a DJ, and professional portraits taken by Lifetouch photography will be available to guests.

After a quiet parade debut last year, unit founder and Buccaneer Ball organizer Charlie Brewer said the group is excited to bring its 70-foot pirate ship to the ball. The Pirates are a relatively new unit of the Alhambra Shriners, founded in April 2016 with four charter members.

The parade vehicle, a bus transformed into a pirate ship, is affectionately named the Shanghai Charlie, after Brewer. The Shanghai Charlie will be an honorary party decoration at the ball.

"We're excited, but this is really for the kids," Brewer said. "We're looking forward to a really fun night."

All of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Pirates unit of the Alhambra Shrine, a local branch of the Shriners, a Masonic fraternity focused on advancing pediatric care nationwide. Best known for their annual circus, the Shriners fundraise and host special events like the Buccaneer Ball to raise money for their efforts to support children's health in the Chattanooga community and at Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 nonprofit medical facilities across North America.

Adult tickets to the ball cost $25 and children's tickets cost $10. Call 892-0223 for tickets.

The family-friendly dance is being hosted in the Alhambra Shrine Temple from 7-10 p.m. Alhambra Shrine is at 1000 Alhambra Drive.

Email Heather Newlin at hnewlin@timesfreepress.com.

Upcoming Events