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Volunteers will be the guests of honor Wednesday at the Emerald City Opera's New Year's Eve Emerald Ball.

Anyone who has ever volunteered for the opera, which is in its sixth year, is invited to attend the ball for free and also may bring a guest for half price.

"That way we're hoping that a lot of locals will be able to come," said Keri Rusthoi, ECO founder and executive director. "We want everyone to come dance and have a good time."

For non-volunteers, tickets cost $75 per person or $140 per couple. Entrance tickets include all-night dancing to the live jazz of the Edd Nichols Quintet from Denver, an unlimited dessert buffet and exotic coffee bar, tickets for two glasses of fine wine, a glass of champagne at midnight and door prizes. Elegant attire is encouraged.

"I really want dancers to come," said Rusthoi, adding that imported dancers will help draw people out onto the dance floor. "The two free glasses of wine and the imported dancers - that will make it a crazy night."

This year's ball also will feature a champagne raffle for a one-carat emerald jewel from Del's Jewelry. For $100, guests may purchase one of 30 glasses of champagne. One of the glasses contains the emerald, and the other 29 will hold a cubic zirconium. The stones will be indistinguishable in the champagne glasses.

This is ECO's fifth New Year's Eve ball, which is the opera's major annual fundraiser.

"This is the one that we really count on for the coming year. Opera is the most expensive art form on the planet," Rusthoi said. "It's a great opportunity to support a local nonprofit arts group and have a great time."

Rusthoi said as many as 275 people have attended the event at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort in the past, but she is somewhat concerned about attendance because Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. is hosting five events of its own on the same night. Previous themes for the ball have been Roaring Twenties, Viva Las Vegas, Old West Saloon and Monte Carlo.

"We've had gambling in the past, but this year we wanted to make it more like an emerald ball and less like Las Vegas," Rusthoi said.