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Steamboat Springs — This year’s Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Ski Ball will reflect the town’s longstanding Olympic heritage, but those familiar with the annual fundraiser also will notice a few new wrinkles in the affair.

“We are hoping these changes will make for a fun, lively evening,” said Caroline Bohlmann, special events director with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.

This year’s Ski Ball is Dec. 5 and will feature an Olympic-themed format with an international flair at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Grand Ball­room.

The event will be centered on a cocktail party, featuring former Olympians and current Olympic hopefuls. Skyy Spirits will provide drink samples from across the world, including adult beverages from Italy, Mexico, France, Greece, Japan, Ireland, Scotland, Nicaragua and the United States.

The cocktail party will begin at 7 p.m. and run until 9:30 p.m. But the evening doesn’t end there. Dancing and music from the Jakarta Band will cap off the events.

There also will be a silent auction, a limited live auction and plenty of opportunities to win prizes at this year’s ball.

Items up for auction include golf at Catamount Ranch & Club, a year of parking at St. Cloud Mountain Club, a night at Vista Verde Guest Ranch with gourmet meals and several Nambé pieces.

Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. will provide three trips: a five-night stay at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Florida, a four-night stay at the Westin Verasa in the Napa Valley and a five-night stay at the Honua Kai Resort & Spa in Kaanapali Beach, Maui.

Bohlmann said the sit-down dinner that accompanied the Ski Ball in the past is gone in favor of a lower ticket price organizers hope will draw more people to the event. Prices have been dropped from $150 last year to $100 for this year’s Ski Ball.

“We are trying to make the event more affordable and more attractive to a larger group of people in our community,” Bohlmann said.

Last year, the event drew about 250 people, Bohl­mann said.

This year, she would love to have 350.

She said the event is consistently the largest fundraiser of the year for the Winter Sports Club, with most of the money helping to offset the cost of coaches’ salaries.

Bohlmann said the event is bigger than Scholarship Day.

Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 2 and are available at the Winter Sports Club office or www.sswsc.org.