The Polk Ball
Join us on Saturday, October 15, 2022
Join us on Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 6pm to midnight for the return of our celebrated black-tie event after a four-year absence.
The event first began in 1986 during the presidency of Sheila Fleming and was held at the home of Linda and John R. Neal by co-chairs Eva James Crichton and Barbara Jackson. Now in its 36th year, the Polk Ball has provided crucial funding for the Polk Home through underwriting by local businesses, your patronage, and our wonderful auction items.
The Ball returns this year to Historic Antrim. Columbia owes a debt of gratitude to Margaret and Burt Hewgley, who opened this antebellum jewel to the public as an event venue in 2011. Our own James K. Polk was educated at the Brick Meeting House built near the old pioneer graveyard behind Antrim. Margaret’s parents, Peggy and Swope Fleming, undertook the restoration of the home. Just as the Flemings saved Antrim, so Margaret and Bert saved us when they agreed to host the Polk Ball for the second time.
The Polk Ball is open to all Polk Home members with an active membership. Join or renew to make sure you receive your invitation to this Maury County tradition. Our steering committee has made every effort to make sure we supported our local businesses as we crafted this event.
The world was a different place four years ago when we had our last Polk Ball. The pandemic put all our lives on hold—as well as our largest fundraiser and Maury County’s biggest black-tie event. Tourists are slowly starting to return to the Polk Home after a long absence. But I cannot overstate the importance of this year’s event to the Polk Home and our community.
Your support means everything to us. If you cannot attend, any donation of any size is greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping us preserve this Maury County treasure.
The Basics
When
October 15, 2022. 6pm to 12am
We know. We have a TV.
Where
Historic Antrim, 2759
Pulaski Highway, Columbia
Our Locals
Cocktails and Libations by The Dooleys and Fuzzy Duck
Because every event in Maury County begins and ends with a Dooley.
Dinner by Chefs Paul and Chrissy Jensen of The Dotted Lime featuring Tallgrass Meat Company
Tablescapes by
Amy Montgomery Home
Live Music by Skyline Drive
Our Underwriters
Manifest Destiny
$10,000
Cornerstone
$5,000
Steering Committee
Sarah Elizabeth Hickman McLeod
Sarah Elizabeth is the current Ways and Mean Chair of the Polk Association Board. This is her first time serving on a Polk Ball committee. A lifelong Maury Countian, she is the historic preservationist in the Economic and Community Development Department of the South Central Tennessee Development District.
Kendall Stivers Jones
Kendall is the current president of the Polk Association Board. This her first time serving on a Polk Ball committee. She is a fifth-generation attorney and works for the appellate division of the Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference.
Lisa Butler
Lisa is a past president of the Polk Association Board. She has chaired and served on numerous Ball committees, including the Ball held the year she was president, as well as the Benefit Ball committee. Lisa is an RN, held certification as a trauma flight nurse, and raises registered black Angus beef cattle.
Eva James Crichton
Eva James needs no introduction. She is a past president of the Polk Association Board, and has co-chaired more than one Polk Ball, including the first in 1986. Her dedication to Maury County and the Polk Home runs as deep as her family roots.
Sheila Fleming
Sheila is a past president of the Polk Association Board. She has served on a Polk Ball committee since the inception of the Polk Ball during her presidency in 1986. The daughter of Cotton and Rosemary Rippey, Sheila is a lifelong Maury County resident and has been married to longtime Columbia attorney William S. Fleming, V (Billy) for 53 years.
Joanne Pogue
Joanne currently serves as the Recording Secretary for the Polk Association Board and has previously served as Treasurer. She has served on previous Polk Ball committees as well as the Benefit Ball committee. Joanne has worked for the State of Tennessee for over ten years.
Julia West
Julia is a past president of the Polk Association Board. She has served on numerous Ball committees, and most recently served on the steering committee for the 2018 Polk Ball. Julia is the CEO of A-Z Office Resource, Inc.