Banyan Ball guests travel around the world in one night

Purses doubled as metaphorical suitcases March 9 at the annual Banyan Ball.

Supporters of The Out-of-Door Academy donned their best black tie attire for the fundraiser, which was themed “World Traveler.” The hall leading to the ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota was decked out in travel-oriented decor, such as a miniature Eiffel Tower for photo ops and screens depicting the scenes outside a moving train.

After the festive cocktail hour, guests moved to the equally festive ballroom where they could pose with signs such as “I’d rather be in Switzerland” in the Hello Gorgeous photo booth before dinner. Then guests had the chance to give back to the school by bidding on live auction items and donating directly through the paddle raise.

At the end of the evening, guests had the chance to hit the dance floor.