OY! The Joys of Fundraising

Hello everyone, since last month, much has happened. I could have chosen many topics, based on any one of a number of events. I chose to write about fundraising. This topic is upper most in my mind these days because of "Night of a Thousand Stars" or NIGHT OATS as I call it. In the last few years NIGHT OATS has become something very near and dear to my heart.

On November 8, 2014, we will be opening the doors of a local church to a very special evening. There will be local celebrities, the mascot of the local MLB team, princesses and pirates. The sanctuary, which holds 400 people, will be transformed into an elegant ballroom, twinkling lights will shine all over the room, delicious food smells will fill the air, as each guest walks in. They will each receive a corsage or a flower for their lapel. The ladies will be provided with tiaras as well. They will enter the room wearing formal wear donated by the people in the community. The ladies' will have had hair and make-up done provided by a local beauty school. There will be a red carpet for them to walk down and a guest celebrity will interview each of them when possible. I guess you wonder why I said "when possible" you see, our guests are adults, 16 and up, with challenges of any type. Our guests are joined by their caregivers and families. You see, this event is to honor our STARS, to give them a special time, one that most kids celebrate by going to a prom, homecoming or other dinners/dances during their school years. Our guest probably did not experience this "right of passage" and even if they did, our amazing guests do not experience this type of evening enough! They should be honored, so this year our theme is the presentation of THE COURAGE AWARDS.

Now that I've explained NIGHT OATS, I am going to tell what it takes to put this on event and the money we had to raise. We need volunteers (High School kids, local volunteer organizations, other churches and other people who wanted to do something positive). I worry about volunteers each year but they always come through and are my shinning lights on the day of the event.

It all begins sometime in late June- we pick a theme. Next is the menu (which often turns out differently as we get donations from restaurants and from people who want to help with the cooking). It then goes on from there.

This year, we unfortunately lost one of our bigger sponsors, making it imperative for us to develop more fundraising activities then we have in recent years. We found out about the "drop out sponsor" last month and are now hustling to get an event together to help us with the needed deficit. A local BBQ restaurant has opened their doors for us on Sept. 27, a Saturday night so that we can bring in entertainment, have raffles and silent auction items. We have been wonderfully blessed to have 2 incredibly awesome bands come forward to donate their talents for the evening, the restaurant is charging a cover charge which is going directly to Night of a Thousand Stars!

So now it is the raffle items and the time element! My job is to get on the computer, find possible businesses to donate, send them a donation request e-mail or call them asking, in the nicest possible way, to part with an item that I know they could sell...Oy! Tough to do but, when it gets a bit difficult, I go to "my pictures" find the "Night of a Thousand Stars" folder from last year, open it and click from one image to another. I quickly remember that awesome inexplicable feeling of happiness as I look at these people laughing and remember their stories. I see images with their families and I see pride on their faces. Our guest all dressed up, wearing make up and nail polish and moms all over the room smiling down on their children no matter if they are 16 or 60. There was so much joy in that room and in my heart. Yes guys, it is a selfish thing I do. There is nothing that equals the feeling and joy when seeing my friends and their families feeling like STARS- even though they may be only one of a Thousand!

So after, I refresh my energy, I reach for the phone, "Hello, may I speak with the owner or manager?" I say. "My Name is Marcia Minutello and I am the co-organizer (my daughter is the other co-organizer) of NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS, I am calling to ask if we may count on you to donate an item for our raffle or will you sponsor our event?". Most times they graciously find a way to say no but, a few times a day they agree. Some with little fanfare, other with incredible enthusiasm. That enthusiasm is when I feel my face fill with a smile of joy of knowing we are one raffle or one small check closer to giving our amazing guest the time they deserve. One of the moms told me in her RSVP note for this year that her daughter had picked out her nail polish color from the day after last years event.

Well it is time to get going, grab a bite to eat, and then back to my computer and back to work. One thing more, this night that comes once a year reminds me of how magnificent our kids are. They bring us joy for just being who they are and they deserve the grandest of celebrations. They are each STARS not just for one night but always and we are blessed!