The City of La Porte threw a Mayor’s Ball like no other on Saturday, August 26. Mayor Tom Dermody and his fellow community members ditched their suits and ties and donned their favorite summer wear instead for a casual night of fun at the Civic Auditorium. There was truly no better way for the community to celebrate everything that’s been accomplished in La Porte and all the wonderful things to come.
Normally the City of La Porte Mayor’s Ball is a more formal affair, but Dermody knew he wanted to do something special this year since it was going to be the first Mayor’s Ball since COVID-19. Dermody decided to honor La Porte by making his Mayor’s Ball, Livin’ on the Lake themed--right in tune with La Porte’s motto. He came to the event dressed for a party in his favorite boating shorts and a shirt with sailboats all over it.
“I’m not necessarily the most formal guy,” said Dermody. “I knew if we were going to start the Mayor’s Ball back up it was going to be something casual, something fun. Our city’s theme is living the lake life and I thought to myself what better theme could there possibly be than that?”
Looking at all the colorful sundresses, Hawaiian shirts, and sunglasses perched on people’s heads, it was clear everyone was in love with the theme. The casualness of the event gave everyone the perfect opportunity to catch up, laugh with one another, and just have a good time.
“I love networking. Getting to see folks outside of the normal professional atmosphere is refreshing. I like getting to meet everyone’s spouses and getting to know people on a new level. It’s just a nice, chill event,” said Jim Clarida, business manager at IBEW Local 531.
This year’s ball was a huge win for the community. Every year, the funds raised from the Mayor’s Ball go towards a cause chosen specially by the mayor. Dermody isn’t exactly sure where the funds from this year’s ball will go yet, but he knows he wants to work with the city to find a cause that will make a difference in a community member’s life.
“Whether it’s homelessness, mental health, or family support, we’re going to find something special and try to make a difference in somebody’s life. Many mayors have given the funds directly to an organization, but I think it’s important that the city decides what we do with that money and tries to do something special for our community members,” said Dermody.
This year’s Mayor’s Ball was also a great way to highlight some of the amazing things that have happened during Dermody’s time as mayor. The Civic Auditorium, a beautiful century-old building in the heart of La Porte, recently underwent some renovations to give the space some new life and make it an even greater amenity for the community.
Ty Miller, senior infrastructure director at Schneider Electric, headed the Civic Auditorium renovation. He explained that his team put in new, comfortable seats, handrails, air conditioning, and an emergency plug for a generator. All these new renovations will make the Civic Auditorium a safer place to hold events, a more comfortable venue that will generate tourism within the city, and a great shelter for the community in case of emergency. Instead of only being used a few months out of the year, the space will now be able to be used year-round for a wide variety of things.
The Mayor’s Ball was the first event to be held in the Civic Auditorium since renovations began a few months ago. It was touching to see firsthand how much the city has done over the past few years to help La Porte grow.
“When the city got COVID-19 dollars they had to decide whether to spend the money on creating a place for emergencies, for generating tourism, or helping make some of our older buildings safer. By renovating the Civic they got to spend the money on all three. It’s a great facility and it’s exciting to see it come back to life. It was gifted to our community and should be used a lot,” said Miller.
Most importantly, the event was a great way to bring everyone together regardless of their differences and celebrate getting to see such a wonderful city continue to develop.
“I’ve lived here all my life. It’s wonderful to see La Porte start to grow. Tonight is just bringing everyone together to celebrate what we’ve done so far and everything that we’re going to do,” said Brian Chalik, president of the Redevelopment Commission.
Ultimately, the 2023 City of La Porte Mayor’s Ball couldn’t have done a better job at bolstering La Porte pride. Dermody is thankful to all of the sponsors who helped make the possible and is especially thankful to Chief of Staff Annette Leffler for organizing such a wonderful evening.
“I owe everything to Annette Leffler. We call her the glue because she holds everything together. I’m so fortunate to have worked with somebody who is so committed to seeing our city improve. She has done a fantastic job--when I see her passion it makes my day,” said Dermody.
To learn more about the City of La Porte, visit cityoflaporte.com
