Street-Kind Charity

The Street-Kind Charity Ball

Once a year on the 7th of Therendor the Street-Kind charity ball is held at the residence of a wealthy Sharn noble. It is an event designed with the pretense of doing good for the community, yet it seems to be more about social networking. This years event (998 Y.K.) is being hosted by Corven ir'Salhmer, in her residence 'Crystal Springs', Mithral Tower on the Central Plateau.
The official purpose of the ball is to recognise those who have made a difference to impoverished families and communitites, to recognise acts of bravery and determination among the people who live in areas ravaged by crime and brutality, and to recognise the funds raised throughout the year via various functions and events hosted by patrons of the charity.
The proceeds of all the years events are then used to improve the areas that need it most...... Supposedly.

Usually at the ball there are some 200 people of varying social, political and economic castes. The function is for charity so all are welcome, although some of the aristocracy gaze upon the less fortunate as though they were vermin.
Tickets to the event are sold throughout the upper and middle classes in order to raise money for the charity and they range in price from 25 gp to 150 gp each.
Throughout the lower classes tickets are raffled off and the winners get an all expenses paid evening in luxurious surroundings. Obviously this makes winning the raffle quite a prize to those nefarious types who wish to exploit thekindness of strangers, and these people wil go to any lengths to get one.
The lowest of the social order wander the event in wide-eyed wonderment, occasionally slipping something, be it food or silverware, into their clothing. This is politely ignored by the Host and the upper classes and the security is asked to do the same.
Awards are presented later in the evening after a lavish banquet, folllowed by dancing and making merry until the early hours. The ball concludes with a raffle of goods donated by the wealthy. Tickets for this raffle are 1 sp each and are sold several months before the actual event, it is usual to sell several thousand tickets before the event and possibly several thousand on the night itself.

This years prizes are as follows:

1st - A Mystery Prize ??????
2nd - 3 Rings of Communication
3rd - A Rod of Sure Striking
4th - A Wand of Blur
5th - Least Crystal of Adamant Armour

Runners up

4 x 6th - 500 gp
10 x 7th - 100 gp
20 x 8th - 25 gp

The Street-Kind Charity

The charity itself was founded some seven years ago by Evix ir'Marasha, the councillor for Skyway. It was devised as part of her campaign to get the seat on Sharn's council.
Regardless of the actual motivations behind the charity, it has actually done much for the impoverished citizens of Sharn, soup kitchens and fund-raising events have fed many who would have otherwise gone hungry, orphanages have taken desperate children off the streets and city guard patrols have been increased in some of the more dangerous residential neighbourhoods.