The following story is the first in a series of two on the Blue Jean Ball, the annual fundraising event for the Cancer CARE Fund of the Moore Regional Hospital Foundation.

The Blue Jean Ball always provides a great opportunity for talented two-steppers to dust off their boots and show off their dancing skills. This year, the non-dancers among us will also have the chance to develop some fancy dance moves of our own.

Make your reservations for the Cancer CARE Fund fundraiser early, though, advises Rebecca Ainslie, director of hospitality services for the Foundation of FirstHealth.

"We have sold out every year," says Ainslie. "This event caught on from the very beginning."

The fifth annual Blue Jean Ball, which supports the Moore Regional Hospital Foundation's Cancer CARE Fund, will be held from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst. Tickets are $50 each, and table reservations are available for groups of 10.

The evening will feature plenty of good music -- live country tunes from The Cowboys and live beach music from The Sand Band -- and plenty of opportunity for dancing. To prepare for the dancing, the FirstHealth Center for Health & Fitness will offer an evening of hour-long line-dancing classes.

Scheduled for May 29, the class will offer instruction in traditional, hip-hop and country line dances. There is no charge for Center for Health & Fitness members, and the fee is only $10 for guests of members and $13 for non-members.

For more information on the classes, call the Center for Health & Fitness at 715-1800.

New Features

Although veterans of previous Blue Jean Balls can look forward to a number of established event traditions, they can expect some new features this year, too. They will also be treated to the reappearance -- for the first time in several years -- of a popular local entertainment act.

For the first time this year, 100 party-goers will have the chance to buy a box -- for $50 -- containing a special gift from the Jewels of Pinehurst. One of those boxes will contain something more, however -- a Jewels of Pinehurst surprise worth $2,500.

"It will belong to the person who buys the lucky box at the Blue Jean Ball, so everyone will want to be ready with a check or cash when the boxes come out," says Ainslie. "There are only 100, and it's first-come, first-served."

Another new feature will be the opportunity to buy the centerpiece decorating each table. Just $50 will buy an Adirondack chair plant stand with potted zinnias, a perfect accent for porch or poolside.

Also for the first time this year, major Blue Jean Ball sponsors will be treated to a sponsors' reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in a special tent to be set up just outside the Fair Barn. This pre-party party will feature a variety of fine wines and beer as well as hors d'ouvres provided by Laurie Rich Catering.

And, finally, Moore County's version of "The Blues Brothers" will return to a local stage as Southern Pines businessman Gary McGahey and pediatrician Dr. William Stewart resurrect their popular version of the John Belushi-Dan Ackroyd comic classic. They will be accompanied by a band that includes Dr. Ron Milewski and Mike Martin as they revive their Moore County version, complete with authentic song and dance, of "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."

Barn doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, for the 2008 Blue Jean Ball at the Fair Barn. A barbecue buffet will be served from 7 to 8 p.m., and music will continue until 11 p.m. Reserved seating is strongly suggested, and reservations can be made by calling the Foundation of FirstHealth at 695-7510.

Brenda Bouser works in the corporate communications office for FirstHealth of the Carolinas.