Charity Ball



Charity Ball is an annual WLUSU black-tie event. Proceeds raised go towards preselected charities.

Controversy
In recent years, the Charity Ball has undergone public scrutiny for frivolous spending of funds. During 2008-2009, the finalized charity amount donated to the KidsAbility Foundation came to $159 despite having a budget of $32,415.

Supporters have argued that the Charity Ball is a balancing act between profit and experience, and that the event aims to provide learning experiences for its volunteers.

In subsequent years, however, there have been initiatives to cut costs resulting in donation increases of thousands of dollars to charities. Despite this, pundits argue that the Charity Ball is still donating only 10% of their budget and that the "charity" aspect of the event is misleading to student and corporate sponsors who believe 100% of their donations are going to charity. It has also been noted that other charitable groups at Laurier, such as Movember and 5 Days for the Homeless, have been able to raise much more money with smaller budgets.