NOT TOO LATE TO MISS THE PHANTOM BALL

It's not too late to miss the biggest non-event of the season: the Phantom Ball. This is an event so posh and exclusive that people actually pay so they don't have to attend.

The Phantom Ball is really a clever fund-raising idea by the St. Francis Medical Center Auxiliary. It dates back to 1990 when originator Pat Puls planned the first ball on Valentine's Day. For its second year, it was moved to a more fitting holiday, April Fools' Day.

Since its inception, the Phantom Ball has raised an impressive $40,000 for the medical center. That money has purchased television and VCRs for the pediatric department, toys and games for a children's room in the Womancare department, speech and hearing equipment and much more. This year organizer hope to pay for a wall-mounted television in the same-day surgery waiting room, among other projects.

Since there's no overhead -- no bands to book, no food to cater, no decorations to put up -- all the money can go directly to medical center needs.

Stumped on how much to give? For a $10 donation, you can miss the ball. For $15, you can skip the ball and the buffet. For $20 to $25, you can ignore the ball, the buffet and the after-the-ball reception. And if you're really feeling generous, $50 means you can skip the whole evening. A $100 donation earns you a special invitation to forget next year's ball as well.

Get the picture?

Phantom Ball organizers deserve credit for such a resourceful and fun way to generate dollars for a good cause. Most people probably have a smile on their faces when they write their check.

There's still time to miss this year's Phantom Ball.