Planning a fund raiser is a big job, and my mom and I had three weeks in which to do it. We pulled together a great silent auction, raffle prizes, advertising, decoration, and the best spaghetti we could possibly make. We held the event at the Cape St. Claire Clubhouse, near the Magothy River.
The Cape Clubhouse
My mom's buffet setup
Guests came from all over Annapolis and surrounding counties, including members of the Severn Sailing Association, Baltimore Area Boardsailing Association, and community members from Cape St. Claire. Altogether, about 50 guests attended. Many families showed up, and kids had fun running around the clubhouse and making shadow puppets in front of the slide show. After guests were seated and eating dinner, I presented some pictures and information about my campaign, youth windsurfing, how to get started in windsurfing, and a video about the history of the Sopot Sailing Club in Poland, where I train in the summer. After dinner, my mom announced the raffle and silent auction prizes. We had a lot of incredible donations from many local businesses, including lots of restaurant gift certificates, choice retail items, and a car care package with Navy football tickets from Annapolis Jaguar, a supporter of many local sailing events.
Contributors included:
Compass Marketing
Jaguar of Annapolis
USNA Athletic Department
Alan's Factory Outlet
Zachary's Jewelry
East of Maui
Delmarva BoardSport Adventures
Harley Davidson Annapolis
Hudson & Fouquet
Eastern Mountain Sports
Helly Hansen
Bow Tie Cinemas
Brios Restaurant
Mills Fine Wine and Spirits
Cadillac Ranch Restaurant
Hell Point Restaurant
McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurant
Red, Hot, and Blue Restaurant
Austin Grill
Best Buy Annapolis
Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen
Stoney River Steakhouse
Starbucks City Dock
Bertucci's Italian Restaurant
Bay Ridge Wine and Liquors
Carrol's Creek Cafe
Breeze Restaurant at Loews Hotel
Kilwins
Chevy's Fresh Mex
Fados Irish Pub
Bin 201 Wine Sellers
Menchies.
Guests check out the silent auction
A good time was had by all guests, and the fund raiser was a success. We raised over $3,500, which will be used for new equipment and coaching this winter. This particular winter season is a critical time for me, as I will be building a training base for the Olympic qualifying series this summer. It is great to know that I will be able to accomplish my goals for the winter, and the proceeds from this fund raiser is playing a significant role in that. I really appreciate all the help I've been given from the community! I feel very lucky to have so much support, and I'm ready to make some big strides forward this season.
