Join Us For the 4th Annual Bee Ball!
Join us at the Berkeley Cafe on Saturday, May 19th at 7 pm for a night of music, dancing and fun to benefit the Beehive Collective.
Come early to dance to the Countdown Quartet and stay late to get down with DJ Smothered & Covered!
We’ll be awarding crowns to the 2012 Royalty Court, so be sure to vote for your favorites below.
Tickets are available for $10.
Buy Your Tickets Now!
Never been to a Bee Ball? Check out our archive of Bee Balls past to see what the fun is all about:
2011 Bee Ball
2010 Bee Ball Photos
Click here to visit our sponsors and please give them your support!
2012 Royalty Court:
Sarah Ferguson
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 Sarah Ferguson was so excited when she heard she was nominated for the Bee-Ball Court, that she screamed and then bit down on her purse strap, hard. She hopes those teeth marks will remain embedded in the imitation leather FOREVER. Sarah has been known to declare, “The Bee Ball is the BEST party of the year!” It’s no lie. Raised (mostly) in North Carolina, Sarah went away for 10 years and then came back, and has never regretted it. In fact, Raleigh has proven to be way more fun, welcoming, active, and genuine than anywhere else she has ever lived. Sarah recently spent a weekend being obnoxious in Los Angeles, repeatedly saying, “Yeah, we have bars like this in Raleigh. But cooler. And the drinks are cheaper. And the people have a sense of humor.” When not busy preparing for the Bee Ball, Sarah works as a preschool teacher and mentor to student teachers at Johnston Community College. She spends her free time involved in local events and organizations, and crafty pursuits. For the past three years, she has bossed people around as the Stage Manager for Redress Raleigh, a yearly fashion show that features local designers creating garments from re-used and sustainable fabrics. This year, she has begun co-teaching a series of sewing workshops for Redress, as well. Once in a while she hosts a Crafternoon at her house, or a Dye-your-Clothes-Party, or a Fancy-Dress-Sharing party, or a book club meeting. Sarah also volunteered for the inaugural Triangle Tweed Ride this past March, and it was awesome.PS – Vote for Sarah. She oozes enthusiasm!
Vote for Sarah! |
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Lefty Himself, Daniel Whittaker |
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 Daniel “Lefty” Whittaker is an entrepreneur. Read: he makes up his own jobs and works from lots of coffee shops. He is Chief Creator of Green Planet Catering, manager of a small farm in conjunction with NC State (where he grows many of the products used in catered events), & owner of Whittaker Consulting which focuses on services for sustainable startup small businesses.In his spare time, you may see Lefty cruising around downtown with is Great Dane Barley or, if you live anywhere near Glascock St., you might hear him cursing the TV during Alabama football games. He’s an avid Crossfit athlete and surfer.Oh, and he plays music…in a full Bunny suit.
Vote for Lefty! |
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Jennifer Woody |
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 Jennifer is a woman of all seasons and recommends Lilly Pulitzer swimwear and raincoats for wintertime visits to North Carolina beaches.She feels there is a whole lot to be said for getting close to things you think are amazing (and maybe a little jealous of) because the goodness just might rub off. Her passwords are positive affirmations and she demonstrates all the characteristics of a typical Sagittarian.As the co-chair of the Beehive Board, Jennifer freely admits that she gets a thrill thinking about how the small donations given to the Beehive add up to big bucks that help people right here in Raleigh.As a public health professional, she makes your bike riding, car driving, interpersonal relationships, child rearing, and mental health services as safe, nurturing, and easy find, get at, or deal with as possible.She is a firm believer that emoji spice up all electronic communications Vote for Jennifer! |
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Uel Whitsett |
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 Uel Whitsett is a native of Ruff Raleigh. He practices law at the Kuhn Law Firm’s downtown office, specializing in commercial real estate and civil litigation.Outside of the office Uel is an avid cyclist and spends a lot of his time riding and racing with a local bicycle team or helping with local fundraising rides. Uel stays fast on the bike by sticking to beer and pizza as his main source of fuel.Uel and Barden are neighbors and Uel has promised a MadMax and the Thunder-Dome style ending to the Bee-Ball if it comes down to the two of them.Two-men enter one mans leaves-Vote for Uel!
Vote for Uel! |
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Kelly Leeman |
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 You might not know Kelly Leeman, but you’ve probably heard her. She can often be found at the bottom of a pile of tipsy friends at local watering holes. She loves Raleigh and enjoys spending her time supporting local organizations and events.As a rollergirl, she terrorizes residents with unexpected hip-checks and a sense of well rounded tomfoolery. Kelly shares her love of a raucous time with visitors to her fair city, and does so as an active member of Couch Surfing.Make sure to place a vote for Kelly or you might “accidentally” be caught in her cross-fire during the next Raleigh Wars adventure.
Vote for Kelly!
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Scott Phillips |
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 Scott Phillips hails from Northeast Ohio, which makes him strong. He has a filmmaking degree from Ithaca College, which means he is in debt, and also able to pointlessly reference Billy Wilder in mixed company.He has lived in Raleigh for 18 years, which makes him cultured and grateful. He is an alumnus of Cup A Joe, Lilly’s Pizza, and Third Place, which means he probably scowled at you a dozen years ago. (It was just an act; he didn’t mean it.) He currently teaches 4th grade for Wake County full-time, which makes him patient and knowledgeable about fractions. He also runs projector/tickets/popcorn at Rialto Theater part-time. This means he can do the Time Warp but will not.He writes songs, sings and plays in the band Goner, as well as solo. This means he is desperate for your attention and approval at all times.Vote for everybody because it’s good for Raleigh. Then comeback and vote for Scott twice because he is devilishly handsome, flagrantly modest, and so very alone (*sniffle*).
Vote for Scott! |
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Barden Culbreth |
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 There probably aren’t too many people who don’t know or know of Barden. He’s been a fixture on the streets of Raleigh for more than a dozen years, and is always quick (solicited or not) to give you the news! Barden works for a lobbying and government affairs firm which handles a wide array of topics ranging from pharmaceuticals to city planning to renewable energy.Even though he’ll claim he’s “calmed down” in recent years, you’ll find him at any one of the city’s local bars trying to fight one of the fellow patrons about the effectiveness of a local trash ordinance.He proudly supports the Beehive Collective and the affiliated local organizations.He gladly accepts nomination to the court (where he’ll no doubt crush his Cooke Street neighbor, Uel Whitsett), however admits that the Bee Ball is the group’s second coolest fundraiser following the 2008 Smoking Ban Ashtray Auction at the Borough!
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Christmas Abbott |
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Paving the fitness revolution in Raleigh, Christmas has lifted booties, bulged biceps, and helped people look forward to the summer season for three years. With her monthly bootcamp, 30 Days of Christmas, she opened her own fitness facility CrossFIt Invoke. You can find Christmas playfully chasing her CrossFit Invoke crew around the city block of Fayetteville street spicing up the downtown dynamic.
Fitness, fun and chocolate cake are her passions. Ahem….she’s been known to be a fan of bourbon too.
Christmas for Bee Ball Queen…or she’ll assign you burpees and take your cake and drink your bourbon.
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Benny & Schmitty |
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 Benny and Schmitty met eight years ago as volunteer laborers at a farm in New Zealand. Their magnetism toward one another was undeniable and the pair has remained sickeningly attached ever since. They enjoy camping dangerously close to vicious wildlife, fancy vegan foods and midcentury interior design. The duo frequently collects (hoards, rather) relics of nature and urban decay for use in art installations, and sometimes for sacred rituals too ethereal and embarassing to describe here. If you vote for Benny and Schmitty, they’ll make you some tea and cuddle your dog.
Vote for Benny & Schmitty! |
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Dena Ali |
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 Dena hung up her hand cuffs and went from cop to firefighter and EMT, but she will still take you down with the “guns” she is packing. As a courageous public servant Dena Ali will be there to put out the fire at your house, but once you meet her you won’t be able to put out the fire in your heart. WhenDena is not rescuing children from burning buildings, getting kittens out of trees, rushing the elderly to the hospital or performing other life saving tasks, she can be seen cycling around town. As comfortable on two wheels as two feet, she dominates the trails and the roads. Mostly recently, you may have sighted her on her shiny new fixie. Spin those sexy legs Dena!
Vote for Dena! |
Our 2012 Sponsors
Marigold Sponsors |
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Julianna Thomas Videography | |||
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Lilac Sponsors |
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| Whittaker Consulting | |||||
| Phydeaux | |||||
| Open Intelligence | |||||
| Raleigh Vintage | |||||
| Empire Eats | |||||
Sweet Pea Sponsors |
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| The Collectors Gallery | |||||
| Benelux Cafe | |||||