By Lesley Harris Colvett
Photos courtesy of Le Bonheur Club

The women of Le Bonheur Club, Inc. have something BIG to celebrate – they have been “helping kids for 100 years!” A centennial is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone, and to festively mark the occasion, the Gold Centennial Ball will be held April 29 at the Peabody Hotel.

One hundred years ago, Le Bonheur Club was started as a sewing circle to provide clothing to children in need in the Midsouth. The group’s first project was sewing for an orphanage, hence the stitches around the large red heart emblem that sits atop Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Officers were elected in this sewing circle, and the name Le Bonheur was chosen. “Le Bonheur” is French for “happiness.” After raising today’s equivalent of $22 million dollars, the women of Le Bonheur Club opened the doors to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

US News & World Report has deemed Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation and ranked it number two in the state of Tennessee.

Le Bonheur Club members have been instrumental and hands-on throughout the century, raising money and giving of their time and talents to support this wonderful, growing hospital. Volunteers get to be an integral part of spreading joy and happiness to the children being treated at Le Bonheur. Such examples are hosting holiday and craft-making parties with the patients, cheerfully walking the hallways handing out snacks and books from the hospitality cart, and providing Bunny Lane toys for children who are going into surgery. Bunny Lane is 100 % funded and stocked by the members of Le Bonheur Club. Trust me, those Bunny Lane toys are special and necessary to little ones before surgery. My 20-year-old son still has his little stuffed animal horse he got to pick out before his tonsillectomy when he was seven years old.

Over the century, the club has raised money for various projects including the Family Resource Center, a pediatric ambulance, Art Therapy Room, and the Rehabilitation Center. The Centennial Ball will continue to provide funding for future projects of the Le Bonheur Club!

The Ball will be a spectacular night of dining at the beautiful Peabody Hotel, bidding on fabulous auction items, and dancing to the SoulSations. It will be a memorable night to celebrate the legacy of Le Bonheur Club and continue raising funds for the kids. Le Bonheur Club hopes you will join them at the Ball on April 29.

Scan the QR code below or visit one.bidpal.net/100year
goldcentennialball/ to purchase tickets.