Katherine's inaugural Defence and Mayoral Ball has not only drawn a huge crowd, but also raised enough funds to purchase a therapy dog.
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Held last Saturday at the Katherine Museum, the ball raised more than $29,000 for the wanted tail-wagger.
"The idea for the dog came from staff in our emergency department," Renae Daniel, General Manager and Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Katherine Hospital, said.
"There is a large volume of evidence for the benefits of therapy dogs in both patient and staff wellness.
"The benefits of a wellness dog for our staff will assist in creating a home away from home and also assist with increased stress levels which can occur due to the nature of delivering health care."
Katherine Town Council Mayor Lis Clark said she was pleased with the inaugural event.
"Everyone looked wonderful and the auction was a lot of fun, with many great items donated generously from businesses in Katherine and further away, and our guests who generously bid on them," she said.
"It meant we were successful in reaching the goal of raising $29,000 for the therapy dog.
"It was a fun night and many commented on how good the RAAF band was.
"We look forward to holding a similar charity ball every year."