Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

A group of Western Slope Marines has formed a nonprofit organization to bring the area’s Marine community together while preserving traditions that members say cannot be fully incorporated into a broader military celebration.

The Western Slope Marine Birthday Ball Association will host its first Marine Corps Birthday Ball on Nov. 14 at Absolute Prestige, 1351 Q Road in Loma. The event will celebrate the Marine Corps’ 251st birthday.

Association member Barb Evanson said the idea grew from conversations among about five Marines living in Glade Park.

“We didn’t just want to have a cake cutting in the back of some restaurant or something that was very informal,” Evanson said. “We wanted it to be something that was big and something that was much like all the other Marine Corps balls that we’ve all experienced throughout our time in the military.”

The Marines began discussing what would be required to establish the event and determined they needed a formal organization to manage it. They formed the Western Slope Marine Birthday Ball Association as a nonprofit and are working toward obtaining federal tax-exempt status.

The association’s committee consists of six people, including five voting members and a Marine spouse who serves as treasurer.

“We all kind of came together, and we’re like, ‘We’re going to make this happen,’” Evanson said. “We want to do something that honors the Marine Corps, that honors Marines past, present and future, and even Blue Star and Gold Star families.”

The organization also includes Fleet Marine Force corpsmen and chaplains in its definition of the local Marine Corps community. Although they serve in the Navy, the corpsmen and chaplains complete specialized training to serve alongside Marines.

“They’re part of our Marine Corps family, so we wanted to honor them as well,” Evanson said.

Evanson said its immediate purpose is to rebuild the sense of community, which many Marines lose when they leave active service and return to civilian life, that hasn’t been available locally.

Evanson served in the Marine Corps from 1997 to 2001. After leaving the military, she continued working on military installations before becoming a law-enforcement officer in Jacksonville, N.C., near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Many of the officers with whom she worked were former Marines, allowing her to retain a connection to the military community.

Other veterans experience a much more abrupt separation, she said.

“A lot of people, when they get out of the military, they don’t have that community anymore,” Evanson said. “A lot of people go back to their hometowns.”

She expects the ball to help Marines from different generations discover how many others live in the region and begin building relationships beyond the event.

“There are way more Marines here than I realized there were,” Evanson said. “There’s this guy over here, there’s this young guy, there’s this old guy, and then just building that community.”

Evanson said she can see attendees finding ways to support each other after coming together at the ball.

“With this being the first year, I think that there will be a significant community built from this event,” she said. “It’s going to give resources to the Marine vets that are in the area, because we’re going to be around to support one another for years to come.”

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Curtis E. Fillpot, U.S. Marine Corps retired, will serve as the guest speaker. Fillpot served as a Marine gunner.

The program also will include traditional Marine Corps birthday messages and a cake-cutting ceremony involving the oldest and youngest Marines in attendance.

The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 6 p.m. Dinner will follow, and the event is scheduled to end at 10 p.m. The Ribber Catering Service will provide the meal, and Grizz Entertainment will provide music.

Tickets cost $45 and must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 1. The deadline was extended by two days to give prospective attendees another payday before sales close.

The ball is open to: active-duty, veteran and retired Marines; Fleet Marine Force corpsmen and chaplains; Marine and FMF Gold Star and Blue Star families; and their guests.

Military or formal dress is encouraged, although “cowboy cocktail” and Western attire are also welcome.

The association is independent and is not sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with the U.S. Marine Corps or another federal agency.

Additional information and tickets are available at usmcballorg.com. Registration assistance is available by calling 720-837-1331.