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The Peck School of the Arts hosted their 29th Annual Grand Viennese Ball on April 1 at the Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee, surpassing their fundraising goals and netting $92,000 for student scholarships.

Last year, 280 patrons helped raise $58,000 for the scholarship fund.

The night featured hundreds of student performers from Peck in a variety of ways. As patrons walked in, the Bucare Trio of the Leonard Sorkin International Institute of Chamber Music and students in the Department of Music's Voice Program welcomed the guests. During dinner, students in the UWM Jazz and Wind Ensembles and the orchestra, led at times by student conductors, joined students from the Dance Department in entertaining during dinner.

"Tonight is about connecting with the campus community and showing them what we do," Amanda Ruppenthal, a senior music major, said. "It's our chance to thank them for letting us explore the arts."

The students were joined by about 250-300 guests including Peck School of the Arts Dean Bob Bucker, Chancellor Carlos Santiago and renowned magician David Seebach.

The menu for the night included a mixed green salad, fresh rolls, a raspberry sorbet served in a miniature martini glass and a beef with shitake mushroom cap and boneless chicken breast combination with caramelized pears and mashed potato cake. Tiramisu was served for dessert. The food, according to several observers, was a "divine meal incomparable to most food served in Milwaukee."

Ticket sales were not the only revenue. A raffle-including items like a 30GB iPod, Dell Laptop Computer and a 42" plasma television-and a silent auction-including a weekend at Bucker's condominium in Santa Fe, a BBQ with Chancellor Santiago, food certificates, sports tickets and Milwaukee-themed apparel-all helped the school reach their cash total.

The tickets, at $175 per person, included complimentary valet parking, an open bar from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. and a four course meal.

A surprise twist came at the end of the night after the winner of the 1/2 carat diamond dig, a fundraiser in which patrons scoop through sand filled with Cubic Zirconia's and one diamond and later find out which jewel is real.

Major underwriting for the event was provided by the Northwestern Mutual Foundation.

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