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THE Elmore Summer Send Off is proving B&S balls are about a whole lot more than Bundy, boots and bucket loads of fun.
The Elmore charity ball has raised about $370,000 since its humble beginning in 2004.
Money has gone towards improvements for the Elmore Medical Practice, a bowling machine for the cricket club, a fire pump for the Elmore Events Centre, renovations to the netball courts and the football grounds, ROADEC and a scholarship fund, the SES in Rochester and the Elmore Cemetery.
Hundreds of man hours go into making the event a success.
There's a ball committee but volunteers from sporting clubs, schools and other organisations also roll up their sleeves on the weekend of the B&S, traditionally the March long weekend.
They help prepare the site, serve food and drinks, clean toilets and sell merchandise with the incentive of receiving a donation from the ball's takings.
It's a prime example of people coming together to serve their community.
The Elmore Summer Send Off will celebrate its 10th anniversary on March 8 and the committee has enlisted in the help of Harry Jon Nanos from Media Vantage to film a documentary.
Part one of documentary explores the creation of the B&S and is already on YouTube.
People can find it by searching YouTube for The Elmore B&S Charity Ball Story Part One.
Part two was being filmed when the Bendigo Advertiser caught up with the committee last week, part three will showcase this year's B&S and part four will document the donation handovers.
The Elmore Summer Send Off committee announced earlier this week this year's ball would have a theme.
"We've been thinking about raising awareness for cancer," secretary Sam Shotton said.
"We've never had a theme at the B&S - it's always been black tie but now we're just thinking along the lines of introducing a theme which has been announced as a touch of pink or blue in recognition of cancer in general.
"There are a number of people in the Elmore community who are suffering from cancer or they have family members who are affected by cancer.
"It just seems to be hitting the Elmore township at the moment, everyone's talking about it, and we're just thinking we can raise the awareness.
"It might be a nice way to say to the Elmore community that we're all thinking of you.
"So we're going to ask the people who come to our ball to wear a touch of pink or blue.
"It could be a pink shirt or a blue shirt or a bow tie while still staying in the traditional dress of black tie.
"We think people at the ball will embrace it."
B&S balls - alternatively known as Bachelor and Spinsters or Blokes and Sheilas - were originally designed as a way for country men and women to meet up and potentially find romance.
They've evolved over the years and the focus has shifted to people having a good time, meeting up with friends and raising money for rural communities.
Elmore farmer Brian Mullane is no stranger to the B&S scene and remembers when the idea of having a ball in his hometown was first sparked.
"I went to plenty of B&S balls myself and we always talked among mates about it," he said.
"It was sort of along the lines of, 'We've got the field days here, we've got the perfect spot, why don't we do it?'
"The first committee president lined us up one day and said, 'Are you going to bloody do it?'
"So we made a committee and made it a charity so the town could benefit."
Mr Mullane said most other B&S balls were run by organisations such as Rotary clubs.
"Some are even run by football clubs but, for Elmore, we made it its own stand alone thing and all the organisations around town can then come and work and get a bit of the benefit and kick-back," he said.
"At the first ball we got 700 people and that blew us away.
"We needed 350 or something to break even.
"We peaked about 1900 three years ago."
Mr Mullane has his fingers-crossed this year's 10th anniversary ball will be the biggest the Elmore Events Centre has ever seen.
"People come from everywhere," he said.
"We've had people from South Australia, the top of New South Wales, Geelong and Ballarat seem to be a couple of big areas, and it's not too far from Gippsland either.
"And we're right on the doorstep of the Riverina.
"We even get a few Melbourne people because we're only an hour and a half away."
B&S utes - traditionally decked out with sky-high aerials, bull bars and stickers - will start rolling into Elmore next Friday.
Gates will open at 1pm on March 8 with car park activities from 3pm.
The ball will start at 8pm with on-stage appearances by Chris Staff, The Viper Creek Band and Trainwreck Trio.
"When it all started I don't think any of us actually realised it would still be here in 10 years," Ms Shotton said.
"I've been secretary since the start and we always welcome new members to our committee.
"You don't have to live in Elmore.
"We've have members from Colbinabbin, Rochester, Goornong right through to Perth.
At the first ball we got 700 people and that blew us away. We needed 350 or something to break even.
- Brian Mullane
"We have someone who works in the mines and comes up on his weeks off.
"All you need is an interest in raising money for a local community and enjoy the logistics of a B&S ball.
"You don't have to be a committee member who goes to the meetings. If you can't go to meetings then your participation is also welcome at working bees.
"At the end of the day, come this weekend, my job as secretary is almost done and that's when Craig and I rely on everyone else to pull it together.
"Because without the back-up support we wouldn't be able to do what we do."
Tickets to the Elmore Summer Send Off B&S are $125 and will be available at the gate on March 8.
