MOOSEHEART, IL - For all the fancy dresses, the good food and the great music, the whole point of Mooseheart's Military Ball came when the entire assembled crowd lifted some non-alcoholic champagne to toast the various branches of the service.

The throng toasted the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard after taking a moment to silently remember those far away serving at this year's annual Military Ball, which took place on Friday, March 13 at the Paul J. O'Hollaren Centre.

That is the spirit of the Military Ball, an ages-old tradition in which military servicemen and women who have the ability to celebrate take time out to remember those who are still busy at their posts -- and then cut loose for a while.

"The most important thing is that you remember all the people who didn't make it home," said U.S. Navy Warrant Officer (Ret.) Rick Smith said. Smith is the lead officer of Mooseheart's NJROTC program.

"You remember all those who are serving and who can't celebrate because they're sleeping in the sand," Smith continued. "They're on the watch, trying to keep things safe and trying to keep alive over there. It refreshes in our mind what we do. And for those on active duty, it allows a chance to relax for a night with your brothers in arms."

Mooseheart's entire high school student body participates in a mandatory Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program. The program began in 1974, continuing a long tradition of military involvement on the Mooseheart campus, a tradition stretching to 1916 and the Mooseheart Cadet Corps.

"You can see that they even stand differently when they're in uniform," Smith said. "They're feeling the uniform. They're in their uniforms, but they're also away from school and enjoying each other's company."

Smith said he wanted the students and guests to remember that there is more to serving in the military than just putting on that uniform. Smith served 27 years in the Navy on a variety of vessels and participated in four tours of duty in the Persian Gulf.

"I think all too often, people forget about freedom and where it comes from," Smith said. "It is so taken for granted that I don't know if people always stop and think. There are people just a few years older than our students out there away from their families. They're doing things that they volunteered to do but they'd rather be home with their families too. But they're doing what they do in order to keep us safe."

But the military ball is also a celebration. As Smith said, "It's a time where you don't need an excuse to talk to your friends about the military. It's a night out for you and your spouse and your friends."

Smith became the lead instructor in Mooseheart's NJROTC program in November, and this was his first military ball at the school.

"Some of the female cadets, I didn't know who they were when they came in because I've never seen them dressed up like that," Smith said. (The program's girls are given the latitude to wear civilian formal dresses for the occasion.) "The guys I get to see every Tuesday because they wear their uniforms when they come in. I think they all look great."

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,900 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to roughly 230 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.mooseintl.org , www.mooseheart.org ., www.moosehaven.org , or call 630-966-2229.