WESST Blog

One of the most generous of gestures in our community comes from Jim Long, owner of Heritage Hotels and Resorts, and the Montezuma Ball, through the New Mexico Multi-Cultural Foundation. The Montezuma Ball has a rich history in New Mexico when the first ball began as a part of the Territorial Fairs in 1902. Montezuma Balls continued until the 1960s.

Since Jim Long brought back the Montezuma Ball in 2000, the Montezuma Ball has raised more than $1.5 million for local charitable organizations. Instead of having an annual gala for one organization, the Ball opens a competitive application process to determine the primary beneficiary of the ball, which changes from year to year. The arrangement is ideal for organizations that aren’t able to have an annual gala fundraiser because of time and resources, but that welcome putting on a grand gala as a fundraiser at least once. The organization chosen as the primary beneficiary also does the majority of work for that year’s event, along with the great help of a standing Montezuma Ball Committee.

WESST is thrilled to announce that after competing in the largest pool of applicants ever, WESST has been chosen to be the primary beneficiary of the 2013 Montezuma Ball. The opportunity to put on a grand gala at Heritage Hotel’s lovely Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town is one we at WESST were thrilled to pursue and we are so honored to have been selected. We anticipate that with a lot of hard work, the exposure for WESST will be outstanding and with help from WESST supporters, the event will be a huge fundraising event for WESST, allowing us to do even more to help small businesses start up and expand and create jobs in New Mexico.

We get to help out with the 2012 event on November 17th to learn the ropes before taking over the reins in 2013. November 23, 2013, the date of the 2013 Montezuma Ball, will provide the venue for a great celebration of WESST, while honoring the rich Montezuma Ball history and tradition in New Mexico. We want to thank Jim Long, the New Mexico Multi-Cultural Foundation, and the Montezuma Ball for giving us this amazing and grand opportunity!