PENDLETON—It was an Inaugural Ball fit for a president.

On Monday, students at Willis Hare Elementary School hosted a lavish event ushering in their student council and raise funds for their activities.

Dressed in suits and ties or in frilly gowns, the school’s third, fourth and fifth graders filed into the gymnasium. The ball included a myriad of goings-on for students, including lunch, performances, the crowning of a student body chosen king and queen and music.

According to Media Coordinator Kim Shaw, tickets to the ball were sold to parents and students in order to raise money for school flags, a Tiger Council project. Each grade level is currently designing a flag to help promote school spirit.

The Tiger Council is a student governing body made up of four fifth graders: Mayor Sterling Vaughan, Vice Mayor Matthew Wheeler, Treasurer Jontavious Bowers and Chair of Special Events Jordan Harrell. In the past the council has implemented other activities around school like Pawmart, which provides students a place to purchase school supplies.

Leteshia Davis of Pendleton was one of the parents that attended the ball in support of her son, Keon, a fourth-grader at the school.

“I have never seen this at an elementary school, they didn’t have this when I was here,” she said.

Davis’s cousin, Veronica Daye, was also impressed by the soirée.

“It brings parent involvement in,” she said. “It’s something exciting for the school.”

At the head table, Vaughan, Wheeler, Bowers and Harrell were joined by rising council members, which will take their seats in the coming years.

Prior to the ball, students were allowed “vote” on king and queen nominations by placing coins in their chosen candidate’s jar.

Shaw said whoever received the most money in their jar was bestowed the title king or queen. Shaw said the king and queen event was a fundraiser in itself, with all of the proceeds going to fund the ball and council activities.