“I wanted to go big or go home.”
That’s Penny Lefebour’s take on a BRIGHT Run fundraiser she organized earlier this fall.
Penny wanted to hold an event to support her family friend Victoria O’Connor, BRIGHT Run 2023 survivor spokesperson. Victoria, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 at age 23, has led Team Victorious since BRIGHT Run 2016.
Penny wanted to raise some money for local breast cancer research because she knows how much research has improved treatments and outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer.
Stand Up to Cancer, which took place Sept. 29, attracted more than 140 guests and raised about $5,000 for the BRIGHT Run. It was a doozy of a party at Wentworth Sports Complex, with a trivia game, live music by Trysted Sister, terrific raffle tables, T-shirts for sale, food and drink – and lots of fun!
Along with the family connection, Penny and Victoria play hockey together in the Hamilton Women’s Hockey League. Penny is the president of the league and Victoria is a member of the executive.
“I had been to a trivia night for BRIGHT Run and I started to think about how to raise some money,” Penny said. “Initially I set it up and organized it on my own, but so many people wanted to help.”
Given that she planned a “fairly big” event, Penny ran ticket sales through Eventbrite, an American-based event management and ticket-sale website.
“There is a small cost to it, but it is well worth it for an event of more than 100 people,” Penny said. “It’s easy to advertise the event through social media, send the link, and ask people to buy tickets online. It helps keep track of the size of the event.”
Tickets were $20, plus a handling fee, because Penny wanted to keep the event affordable. But she also knew the event needed to deliver
“You need to figure out what’s going to draw people,” she said. “Then you need to tap into your social network, work on your contacts, and follow up with everyone to make the event a success.”
In the case of Stand Up to Cancer, networking was important at every turn, from finding an appropriate venue, seeking out a band, sourcing donated raffle items that would attract attention and enlisting people to help at the event.
And while social media is crucial, Penny says personal contact is ultimately what makes it happen.
“Call people,” she said. “Actually talk to them. That’s the only way you can be successful.”
Penny may have gone big with Stand Up to Cancer, but her approach to organizing and her emphasis on tapping into your networks apply to an event of any size.
And while she acknowledges it was a lot of work, she plans to do more fundraising, partly because it was also a whole lot of fun.
“It’s not as hard as you think it is,” she said. “Just have fun with it!”
If you want more info on hosting an event, contact us at info@brightrun.ca. We’ll connect you with our experts.
