Victory Ball a dream come true for Bolyard

What began as a dream for Connie Bolyard when she was young girl, materialized four years ago when she took the steps and – with the support and encouragement of others – she realized her dream as beautifully gowned local ladies in period dress and their dapper escorts attended the Lincoln Victory Ball.

This Saturday, the doors of the Moose Lodge will open at 6 p.m. to welcome the guests for a gala and lovely, colorful evening of period music by the Salt Creek Band, with a caller to guide the dancers through in easy and fun fashion from 7-11 p.m.
Those who don’t know the period dances don’t have to worry, as the caller will lead them.
Refreshments will be available – donated pies, cobblers, cookies, punch and coffee. There will be an attendance prize and a 50/50 drawing.
As with the past Lincoln Victory Balls, the event will also benefit a cause.
Bolyard and Jane Bell shared their enthusiasm for the event.
Unique and Colorful Patriotic Quilt
A patriotic T-shirt quilt will be raffled off, with all of the proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The quilt, donated by Too Cool T-Shirt Quilts, was made by a professional quilter, Audrea Funk of Michigan.  
Along with the beautiful designs and colors of the T-shirts used in the quilt, each block is cut to fit the design on the t-shirt, not the standard block size. The entire quilt is machine quilted, but not in an overall pattern; each block is individually quilted for a special look.
Iron-on interfacing is not used, so the quilt is soft. No two quilts look the same or are alike. Their website is TooCoolTshirtQuilts.com.
Tickets may be bought at the door or by phone orders with Bolyard (267-2232), at $1 each or six tickets for $5. You need not be present to win.
The beneficiary of the quilt raffle, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), is a veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, services, and events for wounded veterans of the military following the events of 9/11/2001.
It operates as a non-profit organization with a mission to “honor and empower Wounded Warriors of the United States Armed Forces, as well as provide services and programs for the family members of its registered “alumni,” as its registered veterans are called.
You Don’t Have to Dress in Period Attire
Everyone is welcome to attend the ball, whether they are dressed in period or casual clothes. As an incentive, however, those attending in period attire will be admitted free of charge. Admission is $5 for those not in period dress.
Tickets may be bought at the door or in advance by calling Bolyard at 283-4206.
Bolyard and Bell said that some came as (period) cowboys last year. “After all, Texans came up here and fought,” Bolyard said.
Bell encourages everyone to get off the fence and attend the ball this year, because it is “lots of fun. People come from all over,” she said.
“Last year, we had some from Missouri, Indiana and even three gals from China. They attended the University of Indiana and they were looking for Lincoln events, they saw this and they danced,” Bell said.
“They did not dress in period and only one of them spoke English, but they had a good time. I think everyone leaves with smiles,” she said.
“There also young people who come, school-age and teen-age, and they join in, so I encourage people to bring their families, because it is a family event,” Bell said.
“There are Confederates and Union soldiers. We (also) had a Scottish man dressed in his kilt,” she said.
Bolyard said, “There is also a wonderful dance troupe that comes from the Washington, Ill., area that comes and watches the dance. So just come and watch the dance,” Bolyard said. “Even if you don’t want to come and dance, just come and watch.”
The Lincoln Victory Ball is unique to Vandalia and Fayette County, an event dreamed of and envisioned by a very young Fayette County resident who never forgot the dream. It has been planned by her, and accepted, supported and presented by Fayette County people, as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, who began his amazing history-making and history-changing career here,in Vandalia.
For more information or quilt tickets, call Connie Bolyard at 283-4206 or 267-2232.

Connie Bolyard, left, and Jane Bell display the patriotic T-shirt quilt that will be raffled off at the Lincoln Victory Ball this Saturday night at the Vandalia Moose Lodge