Country singer George Jones and the Grammy Award-winning band Asleep at the Wheel will be headlining next year's Buckaroo Ball.

The fancy, Western-themed, three-day, fundraising event was canceled this year because of the poor economy.

But the ball will be back in 2010, at a new location — Saddleback Ranch in Galisteo.

Buckaroo Ball Foundation chairwoman Barbara Damron said the venue is a private ranch.

The ball had recently been held at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

"We felt that our patrons and guests were interested in a new venue," Damron said. One of the advantages of the new place is that it's not as dusty. "We will still have people dressing in their fancy Western duds, but you can wear neat boots that won't be covered in dust." And, she said, "It's absolutely beautiful."

Although there was no ball last year, the foundation, which raises funds for at-risk children and youth in Santa Fe County, still distributed smaller grants to local organizations. Those same charities will benefit from the proceeds of the 2010 ball.

The agencies are Fine Arts for Children and Teens, The Food Depot, Gerard's House, Girls On the Run Santa Fe, Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Heart Gallery, IMPACT Personal Safety, La Familia Medical Center, New Vistas, Outside In, Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, St. Elizabeth Shelter, The University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center and the UNM Foundation.

"We feel so badly about not being able to give more last year," Damron said. "More than anything, I want to give these agencies their full amount so they can continue their work."

To reinforce the idea that there will be a ball in 2010, the foundation chose the theme, "Our Tradition Continues."

For the $800-per-person weekend ticket, guests will be able to attend a Friday evening reception and a Sunday home and garden tour, in addition to the ball. Tickets to the ball alone are $700 per person. Guests can travel to the Saddleback Ranch by luxury bus or by the Santa Fe Southern Railway.

Tickets to a Saturday luncheon at a private estate are an extra $300 each. Guests are invited to bring along a small family heirloom, and Leila Dunbar, a former lead appraiser for the PBS program Antiques Roadshow, will give her expert opinion of its value.

Damron said the budget for next year's ball is in the $300,000 range, but that the fundraising goal is $1 million. In addition to funding selected agencies, the foundation will deposit 10 percent of the proceeds in its endowment fund and reserve other money to begin planning for the 2011 benefit. Since the first ball in 1994, the volunteer-driven organization has granted over $6.75 million to charities.

The ball has a Web site, www.buckarooball.com, as well as a page on the popular social networking site, Facebook.

"We're doing everything we can to reach out so that people know about us and our cause," Damron explained. "We are really dedicated and committed to Santa Fe and Santa Fe County." And, she said, "We're excited for the community to get behind us and work with us to improve the lives of these children who have had to suffer more than normal this past year."

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.