Fuquay-Varina has been in a state of celebration throughout 2009, its 100th birthday year.

Come Oct. 10 townspeople and guests will pull out all the stops at one grand Gala of a birthday party featuring good food, good drink, top notch entertainment (including two performers from the New York theater scene), dancing and, of course, a giant birthday cake.

“I hope it will be an event everybody will be talking about for the next 25 years,” said Russell Snipes, Gala chairman and a member of the town’s Centennial Commission.

The event is being co-hosted by the Commission and the Fuquay-Varina Junior Woman’s Club. The Club is celebrating, not only the town’s birthday, but its own 20th annual charity ball.

Kathy Arnold, treasurer for the Gala Committee and a member of the Junior Woman’s Club, said last week, “We think the Gala is going to be a wonderful event. The Juniors are excited about partnering with the commission. It’s a great way for us to let everyone know what we’re about and to do something on a larger scale for the community.”

General admission to the Gala is $65 per person. Checks should be made payable to the Fuquay-Varina Junior Woman’s Club and mailed to F-V Centennial Gala, P. O. Box 635, Fuquay-Varina, N. C. 27526 or delivered to any member of the Centennial Gala Committee, or Junior Woman’s Club. Credit card purchases can be made at www.F-VCentennial Gala.com.

Guests with dietary restrictions and vegetarian entrée preferences should indicate such at time of payment. Affiliations affecting table assignments, such as civic group membership or reunion classes, should also be indicated at time of purchase.

Paper tickets will not be issued for the Gala. A master list of everyone paying to attend as well as sponsors’ guests will be maintained at the main entry for admission. Reservations must be made in advance as “walk-ins” cannot be accepted.

As of Monday the Gala Committee had obtained sponsorship commitments, ranging from $10,000 to $500, from 25 local businesses and individuals. Total amount represented at that time stood at over $46,000.

Sponsors will have preferred seating at reserved tables for the gala. They are also invited to a pre-Gala reception hosted by Fidelity Bank. The committee expects to raise more than $50,000 and will continue accepting sponsorships through the first week of October. Merchants unable to participate as sponsors may donate merchandise to the Junior Woman’s Club for their silent action, an event the club holds each year in conjunction with their annual ball.

The Gala, expected to draw 500 participants, will be held in the building at the corner of Highway 55 north and Old Powell Road, originally occupied by the Watkins-Johnson Company and later Quality Cable Assembly. Vacant now, use of the building has been offered rent free by the owner, Bill Games of Willow Spring.

The Gala Committee has plans to convert the bare interior of the former industrial structure into a fine hall for a ball.

Events of the evening will begin with a reception starting at 5:15 p.m. at which beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Wine, beer and mixed drinks will be available at a cash bar. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available free throughout the evening. During the reception hour, the Junior Woman’s Club will conduct a silent auction, an event which has been a part of its annual charity ball for a number of years.

Seating for dinner will begin at 6:45 p.m. Guests will be served at their tables. Catering by Design of Cary has been selected as Gala caterer. The entrée will feature both filet mignon and chicken on each plate along with salad and side dishes.

Long-time WRAL television news anchor, Charlie Gaddy, now retired and a popular emcee for events in the area, will preside over the evening’s program. Music will be provided by The Band of Oz.

Entertainment will include a performance by baritone Chuck Ragsdale, a Fuquay-Varina native with a long resume of performances in New York and in regional stock companies. He will be accompanied by pianist Paul Loesel, who will miss three performances of the musical “Wicked,” now on Broadway, to be a part of the Fuquay-Varina Gala.

The birthday cake, predicted to be spectacular, will be presented early in the program, then served for dessert. A self-service coffee bar will be opened as dessert is served.

Take home gift bags will be provided by Saks Fifth Avenue in Raleigh. Each bag will include a $15 discount certificate from Saks. The Chocolate Bean is providing its signature truffles for each bag and Stick Boy Bakery is making cookies for each bag. Other items unique to Fuquay-Varina are still being sought from merchants to fill the bags.

Sponsors for the event, thus far, include: Platinum sponsor ($10,000) Freight Handlers; Gold Sponsors ($5,000) Bob Barker Company, Fidelity Bank, The John W. Pope Foundation; Silver Sponsors ($2,500) Akins and Byrne, Akins Properties, Cumalander, Adcock & McCraw, Fuquay Mineral Springs Inn & Gardens, Southbend, a Middleby Company; Bronze Sponsors ($1,000) Far-Packaging Company, Inc., Senter, Stephenson & Johnson; Patron sponsors ($500) include Patron State Bank, Four Oaks Bank, The Young Group, Dr. Jimmie Honeycutt, Dickens Insurance Agency, Dr. Mike Hamby and a number of individuals. In-kind sponsors include Bill Games, Ann Marie Amico Designs and Harris Teeter.

Members of the Centennial Gala Committee are: Russell Snipes, chairman; Kathy Arnold, treasurer; Anna Akins, Evelyn Booker, Emily Cox, Elizabeth Daniels, Marilyn Gardner, Scott Hair, Megan Olson, Laura Query, Betty Rush, Andrea Sadowski and Mollie Stephenson. Shirley Simmons and Frances Senter, co-chairman of the Centennial Commission are ex-officio members.

Proceeds from the Gala will be divided evenly between the Centennial Commission, which has earmarked its share for the new Centennial Museum, and the Junior Woman’s Club which will use its share to support Interact’s, Pass It On and Girls on the Run. The club also uses some of its charity ball proceeds each year to support the Sallie Southall Cotten Scholarship program and to provide small grants to teachers who want to pursue special projects in their classrooms.

The Junior Club will get all proceeds from the silent auction which has been a special club project for a number of years.