DFA Celebrates 50 Years of Desert Debutantes at Desert Ball
Desert Foundation Auxiliary, an organization long on tradition and community service, presented 13 young women from Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Carefree on Dec. 22 at the Phoenician. The Desert Ball is a 50-year tradition, dating back to Dec. 29, 1966, when the first group of debutantes was presented at the Safari Hotel in Scottsdale.
Attendees at this year’s event included Caren Cowie Redivo and Cay Cowie, who were debutantes at that first ball and are daughters of a founding member. Also among those present were Allie and Andrea Smith with Althea Monson – daughter, mother and grandmother, representing three generations of DFA members.
Over the 50 years, DFA has presented more than 1,000 Desert Debutantes and supported more than 130 charities in Maricopa County. This year’s ball benefits the Phoenix Dream Center and GiGi’s Playhouse Phoenix.
Pastor John Corpstein presented the debutantes. Darcy Royal was the ball chair, and Ronnie Kiefer the co-chair.
DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY
Top, left to right: Elizabeth Taylor, Ashley Hancock, Alexandria Fuenning and Logan Williams. Middle: Addison Stout, Haley Kroot, Allie Mashni, Blythe Nebeker and Haley Henne. Bottom: Samantha Singer, Roxanne Keeley, Madison Reimers and Kaitlyn Gage
Allie and Andrea Smith with Althea Monson, three generations of DFA
Shannon, Allyson, Quinn and David Beckham
Desert Debutantes from the first ball Caren Cowie Redivo and Cay Cowie, daughters of a founding member. The 60 on the cake represents the decade in which they were debutantes.
Top row, left to right: Taven Rasor, James Ponte, Brandon Rasor, Cay Cowie, Ron Redivo, Rich Seminoff and Bob Seminoff. Bottom row: Liberty Rasor, Ali Bohannon, Cassandra Seminoff, Caren Cowie Redovo and Cindy Seminoff
Corrine, Oliver, Aimee and Elizabeth Smith
Pastor John Corpstein, Darcy Royal and Ronnie Kiefer
Julie and Andrew Kroot
Theresa and Jim Keeley
Jim and Roxanne Keeley
Maggie Argue and Wendy Arendt
Carol Schmidt and her daughter Kelly Eaton
