The Masquerade Ball coming up in November has become such a popular annual fundraiser for the Cariboo Memorial Hospital that tickets sell out early, even at $100 a plate.

“We are very lucky,” says Cariboo Foundation Hospital Trust director Rick Nelson.

“People look forward to the event. We always sell out and have a waiting list.”

While it may be difficult to get tickets to the ball, Nelson says the Hospital Trust is encouraging the community to support the event by donating items for the live and silent auctions and by buying tickets for the hospital ring raffle.

Every year for the past seven years, jeweller Geoff Bourdon and Woodland Jewellers have donated a beautiful, one-of-a-kind ring designed by Bourdon.

This year the ring features a .31 carat Canadian Diamond surrounded by chocolate and white diamonds in an 18 karat yellow and 18 karat white palladium gold setting.

The ring is valued at $6,350.

A total of 600 tickets are available at Woodland Jewellers at $20 each. If all the tickets sell that will raise $12,000 toward the cost of a new mobile ultrasound machine for the hospital which is estimated to cost approximately $125,000 with all the bells and whistles, Nelson says.

With the admission to the gala and the live and silent auctions he says the gala is estimated to net another $60,000 for the project.

He asks people with donations for the auction to contact Hospital Trust Chair Carol Ann Taphorn at Interior Properties Real Estate at 250-392-0633 or Joy Hennig at RE/MAX Williams Lake Realty at 250-392-2253.

“We gleefully accept all donations,” Nelson says.

While the theme for the ball this year is Masquerade, he says people don’t have to come in costume.

“Keep it wide open,” Nelson says. “Use your imagination and have fun with it.”

The gala, which is sold out, takes place at Sacred Heart School hall on Nov. 28 with dinner by Carmen’s from the Ramada Inn and dancing to the band March Hare.