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Bubble Ball emcee Jackie Schmillen hosted the evening in 2024, decked out in her best bubbles. (Photo: ChildServe)
PHILANTHROPY
Fifteen years of wrap to runway
By Rylie Smith
As the countdown to April 12 begins, designers and crafters throughout Des Moines are transforming ordinary packaging materials into runway-worthy creations. Des Moines' most imaginative charity event is back for its milestone 15th-year anniversary.
The Bubble Ball, ChildServe's signature fundraiser, showcases wearable art created primarily from bubble wrap while supporting children with special health care needs across Iowa.
Sarah Dornink, the event's runway director, has been with the Bubble Ball since its inception. "This event has grown beyond what anyone imagined," she said. "We started at Embassy Club West and have recently outgrown even the Grand Ballroom at the Iowa Events Center."
The event was born when former board members Soozie McBroom and Jim Willer were tasked with creating a signature fundraiser for ChildServe. "Soozie read that it was bubble wrap's 50th anniversary and made the connection – we wrap our most precious things in bubble wrap, and ChildServe protects some of our most precious kids," Dornink explained.
Each year features a theme – this year's is "Wild Wonders: Adventure into Animal Kingdom." Designers submit their concepts for approval to ensure variety on the runway. Creative guidelines require that 70% of each garment's exterior be bubble wrap, allowing designers to use fabric foundations for comfort and structure.
"The best pieces have drama and details that catch people's eyes," Dornink said. "What I love is that designers can be literal or imaginative with their interpretations."
In previous years, the evening's festivities were hosted by emcee Jackie Schmillen wearing elaborate bubble wrap creations, including a Victorian ensemble designed by Sarah Dornink last year, with a custom wig created by Justine Year, pictured above.
More standout designs from the past 15 years include:
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Sarah Grant's vibrant dragon creation from the inaugural Bubble Ball showcases the event's whimsical approach to transforming bubble wrap into art. The piece was later displayed at ChildServe for several years.
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Julie Stork's sun-inspired design showcases the dramatic potential of bubble wrap. A 13-year veteran of the event, Stork creates stunning pieces and assists at the alteration station.
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A Chewbacca costume crafted from shredded tan bubble wrap demonstrates the creative transformation of packaging material into an iconic character from Star Wars.
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Sarah Dornink's playful Chicago Cubs-themed group costume featuring a bubble wrap mascot head and baseball bats brings team spirit to the runway.
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A futuristic Jane Jetson-inspired costume showcases creative innovation with purple bubble wrap, capturing the space-age aesthetic of "The Jetsons" while demonstrating the material's sculptural potential.
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Vicki Nail's meticulously crafted Victorian-inspired golden gown exemplifies the extraordinary detail possible with bubble wrap. Nail, who creates one showstopping piece annually, transformed flat bubble wrap into elegant ruffles.
What began as an awareness campaign has evolved into a community tradition with a dedicated following. "This one is just fun," Dornink said. "The community has truly embraced this event – people want tables, they want to attend, they have a great time."
The Bubble Ball takes place Saturday, April 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Ron Pearson Center, with all proceeds supporting ChildServe's mission to partner with families to help children with special health care needs live a great life.
Tickets are available for purchase through the Iowa Events Center website.
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WEEKEND SECTION PRESENTED BY CATCH DES MOINES
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Nobuyuki “Nobu” Tsujii has been playing piano since age 2. (Photo: Giorgia Bertazzi)
BEST BET
Japanese pianist plays at Drake
After a run of sold-out concerts this spring in Japan, Japanese star Nobuyuki “Nobu” Tsujii will take a turn in the Lauridsen Great Pianists Series on Sunday at Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium. It’s hosted by the Civic Music Association.
Most anecdotes about piano prodigies tend to hit the same notes: The toddler starts plunking out a tune when other kids their age are still drooling. But Nobu’s is truly amazing, considering he’s been blind since birth.
At the age of 2, he played “Do Re Mi” on a toy piano after hearing his mother hum it, and he just kept at it — practicing, studying and performing at increasingly prominent concert halls in Japan, France, Russia and the United States. He won the gold medal at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, essentially the Olympics of the piano world, and debuted at Carnegie Hall two years later.
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Made in the Midwest: Matt Woods, 7 p.m. Friday, Temple Theater. The Iowa blues and country performer takes a turn in the inaugural Made in the Midwest series from Des Moines Performing Arts.
DSM Book Festival, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, The Franklin Center. The free festival for bookworms takes over the Franklin Center for a day filled with author talks and activities. Headlining authors include Claire Lombardo, Alexis Coe, Hanif Abdurraqib and C.J. Box.
Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Urbandale High School. The program, “Reclaim and Rise,” focuses on “reclaiming strength and rising anew in the face of adversity.”
Joe Fonda and Thomas Herberer, 2 p.m. Sunday, Caspe Terrace. Hear jazz bassist Joe Fonda and trumpeter Thomas Herbert perform jazz standards they revere and some of their own compositions.
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History in 3D: The West Des Moines Historical Society has started offering virtual 3D tours of the Historic Jordan House Museum. The virtual tours expand the museum’s accessibility to anyone with internet connection and a desire to learn.
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Dance to a new beat: A new dance and fitness studio is set to open in the East Village. Legacy In Motion Academy will host an open house April 6 for the public to take a peek at the new space at 315 E. Fifth St. The studio is an extension of Capoeira DSM, a school of the Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance form. In the new space, instructors will offer a full schedule of programs including cultural dance classes, fitness classes and guest-led workshops.
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Teen spirit: Local Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa participant Kayleigha was honored as the organization’s Youth of the Year during the BGCCI Youth of the Year 2025 event in February. The Youth of the Year title is bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence, dedication to live a healthy lifestyle, and life and workforce readiness. Kayleigha was also honored at last year’s awards.
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IOWA STOPS HUNGER
Hunger-busting Iowans: Bambi Press
By Jody Gifford
In her role as a health aging director with both the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center, Bambi Press works with older Iowans to get them the nutritional services they need to be healthy and thrive in their later years.
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One of the initiatives she champions is the Iowa Cafe, a partnership among more than 40 local agencies on aging and licensed food establishments, including restaurants, food trucks, cafes, grocery retailers and convenience stores. Participants receive a credit- or key-style card to get nutritious meals at these locations, where they also have a chance to socialize.
“These restaurant partnerships really meet people where they are,” Press said. “Aging doesn’t look like it used to. A lot of people are working longer, they’re serving as caregivers, they have more demands on their time. So that traditional model of a person who is retired, who is going to a faith center for a meal at 11:15 on a Tuesday, maybe doesn’t work for them. So this is a great way to reach people who need a little more choice and flexibility to access those services.”
Press said her first exposure to the challenges older Iowans face came when she volunteered at a senior center in West Des Moines. “I started out volunteering, teaching nutrition and physical activity classes with older adults,” she said. “I made a lot of great friends in that center, and one thing sort of led to another. There was a need for someone to get involved with the Meals on Wheels program, and it just made sense. They found me.”
Her team works with six area agencies to help them deliver meals to individual homes and group sites across the state. “Those programs saw about a 60% decline between about 2010 and 2019,” she said. “We started looking at what the barriers were and why people weren’t taking advantage of these services, even at a time when we know food insecurity and, more specifically, nutrition insecurity continues to be a problem for older Iowans.”
Iowa Cafe Participating Restaurants
April’s Downtown Diner, Manchester
Bents Smokehouse Pub & Grill, Westgate
Gus & Tony’s Townhouse Cafe, West Union
Hungry Charlie’s Lunchbox Deli, Waterloo
Johnson’s Restaurant & Catering, Elkader
Locals Bar & Coffee Shop, Epworth
Medo’s, Waterloo
Shep’s Riverside Bar & Grill, Lansing
Sodes Perk Central Coffee House & Cafe, Guttenberg
Westside Family Restaurant, Grinnell
View menus at https://www.nei3a.org/iowa-cafe/iowa-cafe-participating-restaurants.aspx.
Read about three other Iowans who are leading the fight against hunger in our latest edition of Iowa Stops Hunger, an ongoing series from dsm and the Business Record to raise awareness about food insecurity and inspire action to combat it.
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