More than 400 students attended the Class Council’s annual Charity Ball Friday, breaking attendance records from last year’s event by more than 100 students.

Class Council Secretary Ellen Wexler said this year’s ball earned the group around $5,000, several hundred dollars more than last year. Students could purchase tickets for $10 in advance and $15 at the door on their GWorld cards.

“We were all unbelievably happy with the outcome,” Wexler said.

Wexler attributed the large turnout to the group’s co-sponsorship of the ball with the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils. Other sponsors included the Program Board, Marvin Center Governing Board and the Student Association.

Each year during Greek Week, which began Nov. 5, fraternity and sororities battle to earn the most points through participation in various activities. This year, every Greek-letter member who attended the event could earn 50 points for their fraternity or sorority by attending the ball.

Class Council President Ian Kandel said he was impressed by the large number of students who attended the Charity Ball, which was held in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom.

“The amount of students clearly broke the expected cap of 400, and the number of students attending the ball rises every year,” Kandel said.

One-third of the money raised by the group will go to subsidize the cost of food, decorations and music. The remainder will go to D.C.’s chapter of the National Student Partnership Program, an organization dedicated to helping homeless mothers and their children.

Class Council treasurer Sean Holiday said he is excited about supporting the partnership program.

“The purpose of the Charity Ball is not to earn money, but to provide money for those who need it the most,” Holiday said.

Class Council members chose the National Student Partnership as their charity because of GW students’ involvement in the program, Wexler said.

“They really brought out their constituencies,” Wexler said. “More so than other charities in the past.”

Students had the opportunity to win an assortment of prizes at the ball’s annual giveaway. Prizes included Nike sports gear, a baseball signed by Yankees baseball player Derek Jeter, a $250 travel voucher and free dinners at Shula’s Steak House and Clyde’s restaurants.

Chuck Born, a freshman Class Council representative and the winner of the Derek Jeter baseball, was pleasantly surprised when his name was called out of the hundreds that bought raffle tickets.

“It feels good to know that the money is going to an important cause,” Born said. “However, it is exciting to win.”

Other students were content to dance and eat appetizers provided by the council.

I never thought that dancing in the Marvin Center would be so much fun and I was pleasantly surprised,” freshman Angela Chang said.

Class Council member Vishal Hotchandani said he was pleased with the ball as well.

Hotchandani said, “It was definitely better than I expected, and it is exciting to know that we were able to bring together the GW community while providing aid to many in the area.”

-Bryn Lansdowne contributed to this report.