Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Annual Birthday Ball Older people may remember when Franklin D. Roosevelt celebrated his birthday and Americans all over the nation participated. Birthday Balls were held all over the country which helped FDR use his birthday to advance his most important cause - the fight to find a cure for infantile paralysis. January 30th became more than just his birthday, but a day dedicated to raising endowment money for polio research and treatment. FDR contracted polio at the age of 39 in 1921 and he actively sought new treatments to improve his life as well as others afflicted with infantile paralysis. He bought a place in Warm Springs, Ga. and created a therapeutic center under the direction of the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation, later named the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. The Warm Springs Institute opened its doors to patients all over the country, providing medical treatment and an opportunity to spend time with others suffering from the effects of polio. Money was needed and a businessman, Henry L. Doherty contributed $25,000 to launch the National Committee for Birthday Balls. The money was used to sponsor a dance in every town across the country to celebrate the President's birthday and raise money for Warm Springs. After the success of the first Ball, Birthday Balls became an annual fundraising event. The first Birthday Ball was held in 1934; nearly 5,000 communities across the country held Birthday celebrations to raise over one million dollars for the Warm Springs Foundation. Future fundraising contributions were split between Warm Springs and the local communities in which the Birthday Balls were held. The first Birthday Ball gala in Greenville was held on the evening of Jan. 30, 1934 in Wright Auditorium. The dance, held from 9:30 pm to 2:00 am, was informal since large numbers of people would be unable to attend on account of lack of proper dress. Nearly 2,000 people braved the fierce cold in “brilliant costumes” to dance to the music of Eddie Poole’s Orchestra from NC State College. The building was beautifully decorated with pines and national colors, and a huge imitation three tiered birthday cake, brilliantly lighted, adorned the stage. Promptly at 11:20 pm the dance was halted for the national address by President Roosevelt from Washington, DC and other notables. The address was heard from a radio installed several feet above the dance floor, but the noise of the crowd drowned out the message for most. Nearly $800 was raised and the entire proceeds of this first Ball were sent to President Roosevelt. At the second Ball held on Jan. 30, 1935, a large crowd was welcomed by F. C. Harding. Music was provided by Hod Williams and Orchestra, Charlotte radio broadcasting artists. W. W. Lee acted as master of ceremonies presenting a program of acrobats and specialty dancing. The acrobatic program was given by Carolyn Hamric. Then she and Gwen Bell did a tap dance routine. Leading the fancy dancing parade were Joe Perry and Margaret Bostic, who gave a show of latest dance crazes, including the “Carrioca.” Seventy percent of the money raised this year remained in Pitt County to aid infantile paralysis suffers. In the 1936 Birthday Ball, two complete floor shows were added, one given by Carolyn Hamric and the other by Ramona Staples, head of the Ramona School of Dancing, presenting their students in dance numbers. Half of the money raised this year remained in Pitt County. In 1939, other communities, like Farmville, held their own Birthday Balls or held square dances or basketball games to raise money. In 1940, the black citizens held their first President’s Ball in the new gymnasium on West Fifth Street. Also a large number of cities postponed their Birthday Balls due to influenza, but the Pitt County Health officer allowed the dance to continue. To heighten awareness, radio personality Eddie Cantor urged Americans to send their loose change to President Roosevelt in "a march of dimes to reach all the way to the White House." Soon, millions of dimes flooded the White House, and this campaign became known as the "March of Dimes." In 1941, there was a huge March of Dimes drive throughout the city and county and interestingly the College allowed every girl over age 16 help entertain the hundreds of servicemen in town during the Birthday Ball weekend. President Roosevelt died in 1945, but the Balls continued for several more years as the “March of Dimes Annual Ball.” The last Annual Ball in Greenville occurred in 1948. In January 1949, a benefit for the Polio Fund, called the “ECTC Polio Amateur Show,” was held in Austin Building on the ECTC campus. The funds raised by the Birthday Balls and March of Dimes financially supported the creation of a polio vaccine by Jonas Salk in 1955, eradicating the disease throughout most of the world by the 1960s. _________________________________________________________________ Access your email online and on the go with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_access_112008