The Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. traditionally hosts its Annual Heart and Soul Ball every year as a fancy gala in downtown Madison to raise money for scholarships. This year, however, attendees won’t have to go out in the sub-zero-degree weather nor have to try and find a parking spot, because the annual event is going virtual and it will feature a very special guest – actor and singer/songwriter Eric Benet.
“It’s not every day that you get to see an award-winning R&B singer in your own living room while supporting a great cause,” Ronnicia Johnson-Walker, the co-chair of the Heart and Soul Fundraiser, tells Madison365. “So we are really excited about that.”
The Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host the 26th Annual Heart and Soul Fundraiser, The QuaREDtine Lounge, Saturday, Feb. 13, 7-9 p.m. Organizers are expecting a big virtual attendance and a more relaxed experience this year.
Longtime Delta Sigma Theta members Johnson-Walker and Carola Gaines are co-chairs of the event. It’s been about 8 years since Johnson-Walker chaired her last Heart and Soul Ball, she says, and she’s excited to do it again. There will be a lot of the same great things from the previous Heart and Soul Ball, but for this year, the “Ball” is going to be called a “Fundraiser.”
(Photo by A. David Dahmer)
“We really want people to be able to enjoy themselves and to relax,” Johnson-Walker says. “We won’t have a deejay but we will have a playlist playing throughout the transitions through the evening that will be made available to guests via the Spotify platform.”
Johnson-Walker will be the emcee of the event that will also feature performances by spoken-word artists. All ticket holders will be entered into the Deltas’ “Where the Money REDsides Give-A-Way” which includes a $500 cash prize. You do not need to be present to win.
“We’ll also have a $250 gift card, too, that will be one of the prizes. Because it is virtual, it really opened it up for everybody … not just people in Dane County and Milwaukee. We will have people from New York, Texas, Georgia and California who have purchased tickets who will join us virtually. We have somebody who is Ghana right now who will be attending,” Johnson-Walker says. “It’s going to be a global event. That’s the beauty of being virtual.”
Money raised at the event will go towards the Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. scholarships that they present every year to graduating African-American male and female high school seniors. The scholarships are worth $1,500 each.
At the QuaREDtine Lounge event, past scholarship awardees will give scholarship updates and talk about where they are now on their education path and in their life.
“We have students who have gone on to do great things including obtaining their master’s degrees who received our scholarship many years ago,” Johnson-Walker says. “So we’ll have updates on them and what they are doing in the community and what they are doing on their campuses if they are still in school.
“We really will be finding out how COVID has been affecting their lives and their learning,” Johnson-Walker adds. “We will be checking on how they are giving back to their communities at this time and finding out what opportunities this scholarship has opened up for them.”
The scholarships are just a few of the many ways the Deltas have been making an impact on the Madison community over the last 44 years working on different health initiatives, educational initiatives, economic development initiatives, art initiatives and more.
At Saturday’s event, the Deltas will recognize three community award winners for their impact on the community. “The winners have already been informed and have received their award ahead of time, so we will spend a little time honoring those individuals or organizations,” Johnson-Walker says.
The highlight of the event, for many, will be a performance by Eric Benet, an R&B/neo soul singer-songwriter and actor and former husband of actress Halle Berry who has earned four Grammy nominations for his musical work.
To date, the Deltas have already raised more than $20,000 in ticket sales and corporate sponsorships for the 26th Annual Heart and Soul Fundraiser. “We’ve sold 375 individual tickets online so far,” Johnson-Walker says. “So we’re pretty happy about that. But we’d still like to sell many more.
“It’s really just come as you are and enjoy the music and enjoy the company,” she continues. “We have general admission tickets for $10 and VIP tickets for $30 that will come with a special box of things to enjoy.
“It’s a scholarship event to help the students. I’m so excited that we are still able to have the event this year,” Johnson-Walker adds. “Yes, we’re limited in what we can do compared to usual, but we’re still able to raise money to give away scholarships. And that is what is so important to us.”
The 26th Annual Heart and Soul Fundraiser, The QuaREDtine Lounge, will be held Saturday, Feb. 13, 7-9 p.m. Get your tickets at macheartandsoul.eventbrite.com
