Party with a Purpose-Olympics

Yesterday I was reading a fund raising magazine about the shapes and sizes of fund raising that included some unique methods.  Then I thought of one of my own methods.  It is not new, a "Party with a Purpose" has been around the ACS for a long time, but not with an Olympic theme.

If a couple of these parties were put together in each Division, every two years, Summer and Winter Olympics, a lot of money could be raised.  We, my wife Natalie and I, have raised over $10,000 to date.

I will tell you how we do it.  It all starts just after the last Olympics, which was Athens in 2004.  We write the firms that supply goods under the US Olympic Committee auspices and firms that sponsor the Athens Games.Their goods are now surplus.  Pins, posters, hats, socks, jackets, etc.  We also search the discount stores in our area and on the Internet for surplus goods..  We take up to 50 items which are usually given to us.  These become the door and quiz praises for the next party. That party is February 25, 2006, which co insides with the Torino Winter Games in the Northern Italian Alps.

During the interim we work on quiz es for the party with the final questions produces during the Turino Games.  Next comes the invite.  We ask about 50 couples at $50 per person or an annual or part of an annual gift to the Society. We get it because most of the donors are past attendees and they like the party atmosphere.  If for some reason a couple  can not come, we ask for the donation anyway.

With the invite, we contact local sponsors who may supply food for the even or we cater it or produce it ourselves.

The attendees arrive and are greeted by security usually in the language of the present Olympics,(Italian). I usually am in charge of security and am in the folk dress of the country of the Games. Last time it was Greek, and I am here dressed in a folk costume .

Olymsecurity2004_copy_2 Security consists of some device that gives out an alarm or a computer simulation for Interpol indicating that the attendee is wanted for questioning. Or both methods or other methods.

Security ends with the attendee receiving his or her badge and an envelope that contains a get acquainted game and door praises.

Next, after awarding praises for the get acquainted game, comes the food, which is usually a complete meal from the host nation. It will includes wine, beer, and liqueur of that nation as well.

Then the quiz es begin.  Teams or picked at random, and the competition begins.  If there is time we usually have a second quiz pitting men against the women.  It is amazing to see how competitive the attendee are. Prizes are then given out for gold, silver, and bronze rankings.

At the conclusion of the party the sponsors are written a letter telling them how much money we raised and asking them to sponsor us again.  The process thus begins for Beijing, China in 2008.

I have sponsor  letters, invites, even quiz es for those who might want to put on such a party.  Write me at eddu@comcast.net.

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