AKRON, Ohio - Start planning your costumes for Akron's annual Halloween Charity Ball.

The gala, which has raised $265,000 in the past 13 years, just announced its beneficiaries for this year:

• Stewart's Caring Place Cancer Wellness Center, which offers supportive services for people dealing with cancer and their families
• PechaKucha Akron, which hosts events for creative people to gather to showcase their ideas and work using 20 images displayed for 20 seconds each.

Ball organizers -- founders, Getta Kutuchief, Samantha Coldwell and Krista Beddell, as well as Jessica Goldbourn -- will volunteer for the groups all year. And they'll host a Mannies & Mimosa spa fundraiser near Mother's Day. The event at Gavin Scott Salon & Spa in Stow donates all of the proceeds from the event to the selected nonprofits.

The idea is for the four Akron women to stay independent, after Kutuchief volunteered for the United Way and realized how many nonprofits already exist.

"There's no benefit for us to be a nonprofit and we don't want to take away from the charities," Kutuchief said. "It's great if you have a niche, but it's better for us to partner with them."

The women chose a Halloween ball for their main event because people love to dress up, and they enjoy throwing extravagant parties, Kutuchief said.

"What better way to throw a fundraiser and get 800 of your best friends to come," she said.

The women prefer to work on behalf of smaller grassroots nonprofits, where the money has a larger impact.

Last year, after event expenses, each nonprofit got $15,000. Recipients were:

• Akron Snow Angels, which provides clothing, food and supplies for Akron's homeless; and
• Young Black Professionals Coalition, which is focused on the personal, professional and social development of Akron's future black leaders, including high school and college students.

Akron Snow Angels grows from one-off to regular mission (photos)

Halloween Charity Ball organizers with recipients of the proceeds from the 2016 ball: (from left) Lisa Kane, Getta Kutuchief, John Heer, Krista Beddell, Eric Fletcher III, Kaleshia Fletcher, Tie'rra Holman, Eric Fletcher, Megan Bobula, Samantha Coldwell, Dominic Cardarelli, Erin Victor, Tim Able and Joy Martin. Tim Fitzwater

The goal for 2017 is to raise $20,000 for each charity.

This year's Halloween Charity Ball is set for Oct. 27. The event has taken place at the Tangier for the past six years, and is scheduled to not conflict with Akron's other October bash, the Akron Civic Theatre's Masque of the Red Death costume party.

The charity ball offers general admission and VIP tickets. Sponsorships are available at a number of levels, including the Mummy of All and Frankenstein. The ball features a raffle, a costume contest with a top prize of $500, and food, live music and a DJ. For details, visit the Halloween Charity Ball online.

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