Sorena Dadgar
Governor Roy Cooper is introduced with his wife Kristin during the North Carolina Inaugural Ball on Jan. 6 at Marbles Kids Museum. The event was originally planned for Jan. 7 in Talley Student Union, but was rescheduled due to the inclement weather. The Junior League of Raleigh has hosted the Inaugural Ball since 1933 as a fundraiser for various organizations and programs.
On Friday, Jan. 6, the Junior League of Raleigh hosted the Governor’s Inaugural Ball and Gala Presentation at Marbles Kids Museum in Downtown Raleigh. The black-tie optional event featured musical acts such as the Avett Brothers, Kasey Tyndall and Katie Basden and refreshments from local eateries, including Death & Taxes and Bida Manda.
Though the gala and ball were initially supposed to be hosted on Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum and Talley Student Union, respectively, the threat of inclement weather forced organizers to reschedule.
The Junior League has been hosting the ball since 1933 with recent years’ proceeds from ticket sales used to benefit organizations such as SAFEchild and The Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Wake County.
Rebecca Ayers, president of the Junior League of Raleigh, hosted the festivities; despite the ominous winter forecast, all of the event sponsors declined to withdraw their donations for the event, according to Ayers.
“This is our major fundraiser,” Ayers said. “I think individuals are just as disappointed as we are. We had a number of friends from across the state that cannot come tonight with the weather coming in.”
Caterers served a wide array of food selections, including traditional North Carolinian dishes such as eastern-style barbecue and banana pudding. Due to the last-minute change of plans, many of the caterers who were scheduled to be present weren’t able to attend. Jason Smith, chef and owner of Cantina 18, was one of the caterers at the ball.
“First and foremost, it’s a great way for us to be able to give back and help,” Smith said. “Second, it brings folks into our businesses. You can’t just take, you also have to give back.”
The Inaugural Ball hosted a handful of North Carolinian musical artists, including Delta Rae and the Avett Brothers. In that sense, Ayers claimed that the event was intended to represent “a toast to North Carolina,” and the values and traditions held by North Carolinians.
“If the governor asks you to do something like this, you say yes,” said Joe Kwon, the cellist for the Avett Brothers. “I think [our lyrics] are very clear about being loving, being honest, being kind to one another: These are things that I don’t think that anyone needs to overtly say.”
Many of the original performers scheduled for Saturday performed at the rescheduled event Friday evening with just a few hours notice.
“This event was so awesome because it was so last minute,” Kwon said. “They threw this together in five hours. That’s amazing.”
Attorney General Josh Stein and North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan spoke on behalf of their plans to ensure justice and equal protection for all North Carolinians.
“We will work to make sure that law enforcement training recognizes unconscious bias,” Stein said. “We have a completely up-to-date curriculum so that law enforcement can serve their communities well.”
“I feel very good about what we can do in this state,” Morgan said. “Some folks can’t afford to have meaningful and full access to our court system. I am hoping that we will be able to increase that in a myriad of ways. I serve with [the chief justice] on the Equal Access to Justice Commision.”
In addition, the Cooper family engaged in the ball’s music and cuisine alongside other elected officials.
“[Cooper]’s just the same old dad that he’s always been,” said Hillary Cooper, Roy Cooper’s oldest daughter. “My dad has a stake in the future of North Carolina because he looks at us, and we’ll be growing up in it. He wants to make sure that that future is a positive one. If anything, we’re an inspiration behind his policies for that reason.”
Roy Cooper spoke on behalf of his cabinet and the future of his policy following his reception. In light of the bipartisan celebration at the ball, Cooper focused on a cooperative political standpoint.
“When I think about the future, I see your faces, and I am so grateful for your love and for being on this scene,” Cooper said. “I believe that we will work really hard to move North Carolina forward. We are all going to work together: we may have different ideas about how to get there, but we know that North Carolina needs to be a place for everyone.”