Ah, August. The prequel to the holiday season (and yes, we count Labor Day as a holiday), and the time of year when summer fundraisers typically decorate the evenings of Baton Rouge with air-conditioned fun, food and fine-tuning our social skills. But so what if things don’t look exactly as they used to? There’s still money to be raised and friends to see at more than a handful of virtual galas and gatherings benefitting local organizations. What they need most is a little spreading-of-the-word, some generous patrons, a webcam-ready look and a roundup of August online events:

August 7-9: Theatre Baton Rouge’s Auction Gala – This year’s gala celebrating the local talent of Baton Rouge will be a roundup of contemporary musical theater, with a mix of solos, duets and group numbers highlighting this century’s biggest Broadway hits. An online raffle will take the place of the usual silent auction. Also keep an eye out for Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, who will be attending to help announce exciting plans for the theatre’s 75th season. 

August 8: The 2020 Essential Experience (in place of Best Dressed Ball) – As seen in our August cover story, Baton Rouge’s most stylish fundraiser will look a bit different this year, but will still host entertainment, heartwarming stories and a few surprises in an effort to raise money to support the American Cancer Society’s mission efforts. 

August 12: Virtual Celebrity Waiter – This event is the one and only fundraiser for the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center. Working to raise funds to help provide services to child abuse victims and their families since 2006, the first “celebrity waiters” were the LSU football coaches—by now, more than 100 local celebrities, including LSU and SU coaches, have come together to compete for tips and bragging rights.

August 15-16: CAAWS Virtual 5K – The Capital Area Animal Welfare Society will host a virtual 5K walk/run to celebrate International Homeless Animals Day and raise funds for the pups and kittens in the CAAWS shelter.

August 24-30 – Helping Heal Little Hearts Virtual Auction – This annual auction will take place online, with auction items gathered for the good of the Louisiana Pediatric Cardiology Foundation, which offers family grants for children requiring out-of-state surgery and free heart screenings to local high school athletes.

For a running list of upcoming events in Baton Rouge, check out the inRegister events calendar.