STELC Where Children Grow Gala
The purpose of the annual Where Children Grow Gala is to help raise funds for the St. Thomas Early Learning Center. The money raised from this event is used to give young children/toddlers a place to play, learn, and develop into young adults. All profits raised from this event are through ticket sales and an auction. The auction at this event is unlike any other, as no items, in particular, are auctioned off, but rather people donate as much as they choose with nothing in return for their contribution.
The fifth annual Where Children Grow Gala implemented and carried out by students in Event Management Operations started with a buffet-style dinner for the guests in attendance, followed by the annual auction, and concluded with a performance from a band. The decor for this event was timeless and truly helped display the theme of “where children grow” through the incorporation of twinkle lights, green table cloths, and mini succulents in the center of each table. Furthermore, this event allowed for an interactive activity through a photo booth which included a tacky prom theme element through props and a back-drop. The overall execution of this event went flawless and I was proud to volunteer my time in helping out with an event that strives to provide for our next future generation; the children of tomorrow.
During my volunteer time at this event, I was stationed at the check-in table and worked as a server for the guests. In my multiple positions, my responsibilities included; directing guests to their numbered tables, cleaning and clearing all dishes off of tables, refilling the water for guests, assuring all the money from the auction was collected, and setting up the photo booth. Furthermore, after the event concluded, I helped tear down and clean up all aspects of the event.
Through this experience, I have learned many principles I can utilize in my future career as an event coordinator. One principle I learned was the importance of ensuring all donation forms for a not-for-profit event are accounted for. While cleaning up at the end of the night, I noticed many donation forms had been left unattended at tables. However, while I was able to assure these forms went to the right person, I think for this type of event it would be most plausible to have a donation form drop-off box at all of the exits. Furthermore, when directing guests to tables, I noticed only a few volunteers had maps displaying the table numbers, which made seating guests take longer. Hence, I learned that is imperative to assure your volunteers have all the materials they will need to ensure a successful event. By doing so, one can guarantee that their event company displays readiness for every event. Finally, through this event, I learned the importance of motivating your volunteers constantly throughout a long event. The event coordinators for this event not only helped out volunteers but were consistently giving us words of affirmation regarding our hard-work. Doing so not only helped all volunteers work effectively and efficiently but guaranteed a good experience for the guests of the event.
