Iosue Event, Sunday, Sept. 23, All Day, at Universal Ballroom Center, Collingswood
Here's some updating on the fundraiser activities:
As soon as we decided we would have a fundraiser, Valarie's Aunt Elena contacted me about making gift baskets. I gave her some coupons and she collected the first donations from friends and coworkers. Elena brought a LOT of interesting and valuable baskets and items. The sports theme baskets seem pretty popular. The Eagles winter jacket (size L) will be auctioned off at the fundraiser on Sept. 23.
Meantime, Florya created the GoFundMe page. It's still open and doing pretty well.
I decided that a way to get more dance families here for the actual event and to give our junior dancers more involvement, we could have a dance competition with prize money. One of my students gave me $100; next time I saw him, he gave another $100. Another student emptied his pocket--was only $20, but I added it. Another man gave us another $100. Michelle and Bob requested their group class members to make donations to that and they contributed a lot. Whatever is missing for the advertised purse, the studio will add in.
Last week, Michelle Ott and her adult children and daughter in law visited many big stores, stores at the mall and stores along Collingswood's Haddon Ave. to request flyers be put up and donations of gift certificates and baskets be made. I stopped into the Retrospect (local paper). I arranged for them to put an ad for our event into the paper, Michelle got them to agree to put our flyer in the window, and then the publisher asked for contact info so the paper could do a story on the Iosue family.
Bob and Michelle suggested we have T-shirts made so Michelle took care of that. Jaiden and Ava Bella chose the color: black. Oksana found a great dance picture with the girl kicking. Bob suggested the motto and he and Michelle lined up the printing and the costs. The T-shirts will have the motto: 'Dancers Kick Cancer.' We can continue the sale of T-shirts after the event if there are any left.
Saturday, I went to Stardust to get permission to bring our fundraiser to the dance Friday, Sept 14. On Sunday I visited Dance Haddonfield and collected a little over $200 in donations. The most popular items were the 50/50 and the Phillies tickets donated by Carol Kadel. The 50/50 tickets' purchase of $20 included a group class gift certificate. The Phillies tickets were seats at the game with free parking and a private lesson for $25 donation. Fortunately, everyone who got this one only wanted the lesson and not the tickets--just made things easier. Several people bought their admissions in advance--even if they don't attend, it's a nice donation. Advance tickets include a free group lesson card.
Friday, Sept 14, Michelle and Terry helped me most of the day to arrange the clipboards silent auction, decide starting bids, choose which items would be for raffle and which for silent auction. After classes, Susan Smith, the Otts, Terry, Carol and Andreas helped bring most of our donations to the Stardust, set them up, and collect donations from the dancers.
We are still collecting baskets and donated items. After Saturday classes on Sept. 15, I will ask our gentlemen dancers to set up tables, and our lady dancers to place the baskets with their clipboards and buckets in the main room so dancers can view them and think about what bids they will make.
The tentative schedule is on the current flyer, but keep in mind, we need to be flexible depending on commitments and changes.
Support of Iosue Family-contribute on GoFundMe HERE
Everything that is planned, is flexible and changes might be made to suit the situation as it unfolds. We are hoping this fundraiser will make a difference and be helpful.
The plan so far:
Lessons (need volunteers with a small following) in the front room:
In the silver room:
Before the event:
On Friday, Sept. 14, we will bring our baskets and gift certificates to Stardust Ballroom. We are counting on donations.
Some of the items below will be by Silent Auction. We will set up for bids by Sept. 16. Some of the items below will be won by raffle-one ticket is $2; ten tickets are $7, thirty tickets are $20. 50/50 is the same as raffles.
An advance donation (have to stop by studio for that) gets you an admission ticket AND a free group lesson.
- Youth competition (need sponsorship and prizes)
- Junior competition (need sponsorship and prizes)
- Jack & Jill
- Several dancers have donated to the scholarship fund which will top out at $1000 (have a little over $550 so far). The audience will be a judge, casting votes by donations, a dollar a vote.
Lessons (need volunteers with a small following) in the front room:
- Diane Alcavage-waltz around 2pm
- Gene LaPierre-around 2:35pm
- Sandra-mixer around 3:15pm
- Scott & Gayle Michelli-around 4pm
- Dancing (general music)
- Dance Demonstrations by Junior and Youth
In the silver room:
- voting
- Gift Baskets (for silent auction bids and raffles) Florya Mattioli is organizing these
- Food (for all attendees) Maureen Woodward is organizing this-CALL HER AT 856-397-0293.
- 50/50
- Vendors (will be set up in silver room)
- Gift Certificates
- $10 for T-shirts that say, "Dancers Kick Cancer."
Before the event:
On Friday, Sept. 14, we will bring our baskets and gift certificates to Stardust Ballroom. We are counting on donations.
Some of the items below will be by Silent Auction. We will set up for bids by Sept. 16. Some of the items below will be won by raffle-one ticket is $2; ten tickets are $7, thirty tickets are $20. 50/50 is the same as raffles.
An advance donation (have to stop by studio for that) gets you an admission ticket AND a free group lesson.