Jacqui Ball knows that this weekend’s Heroes of the Night event will be an emotional one. She just hopes it can also offer a little fun.
Ball is the founder and president of Mighty Heroes, an Ogden nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about childhood mental illness and honoring those lost to it. Heroes of the Night is a fundraiser for that organization.
“It will be an emotional day,” Ball admits. “But we also hope it can be a fun family event.”
Heroes of the Night will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at the Ogden Amphitheater, 343 Historic 25th St. The event will include a concert, food trucks, bounce house, silent auction and door prizes. Children at the event will also receive superhero capes.
Admission is $15 for ages 13 and older, $5 for ages 3 to 12. Tickets are available at the gate or by visiting www.eventbrite.com.
Featured musical performers at the event will be Code Blue Revival and Morgan Whitney. Code Blue Revival is a Utah band playing rock from the 1960s and ‘70s. Whitney is a Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter who performs soul, country, rock, blues and more.
Money raised by the event will be used to provide resources for families with children struggling with mental, behavioral and developmental disorders, according to Ball.
The subject is near and dear to Ball’s heart. She has an 11-year-old son who, at age 4, was diagnosed with a mental illness. Through that experience, Ball realized there’s a deplorable lack of support for families with these struggling children. Earlier this year, Ball left her career of 12 years in senior health care to start the nonprofit Mighty Heroes, in an attempt to make a difference in the lives of families like hers.
In addition to raising money, Friday’s event has a couple of other purposes, according to Ball.
“We’re raising awareness about childhood mental illness and honoring those that we’ve lost,” she said.