Topping off the Halloween weekend, CCC’ers gathered for the first-ever bowlathon fundraiser on Nov. 1 at the Albany Bowl. While the event raised an impressive sum for the school, the image of our little preschoolers bowling was, well… priceless. Sporting tiny bowling shoes, they hefted the weighty balls, sending them rolling slowly, slowly, down the bumpered lanes, proud faces beaming. The event was the inspiration of the fundraising team, co-chaired by Nina Dessart and Caroline White. Here the co-chairs share some bowlathon highlights and their ideas for future escapades.
What was the thinking behind doing a bowlathon fundraiser?
We wanted the fall fundraiser to be a fun event that could involve the whole community (especially the children), require only a small investment of everyone's time and energy, and be very inexpensive to produce. And in fundraising, you always want to look for "the baby seal" (a Greenpeace reference), something that will engage donors' hearts and make them want to contribute, perhaps more than they normally/usually would. We thought that the idea of three- and four-year-olds bowling would be a hoot and an easy thing for friends and families to want to support.
The online giving approach to fundraising is a first for CCC, no? Were you happy with the outcome?
It was indeed the first online giving that CCC has tried and we are happy with the way that it worked for this event. The personalized page option that the service that we used, Firstgiving.com, provides makes it so easy for people to email it out to their contacts, which many non-fundraisers find is an easier way to ask for donations. And donors can see their gift actually helping their bowler reach her/his fundraising goal. The system also makes it easy on our end for us to track who raised what, so that families get credit for their fundraising efforts. Not everyone is comfortable giving online, which is why we still received many pledges by check, but overall, online donation processing is the trend in nonprofit fundraising of which CCC was happy to take full advantage.
For most of the kids, it was their first time in a bowling alley. Any reactions?
We were surprised to see just how comfortable most of them seemed! Amalia, a seasoned bowler, or just naturally skilled, gave pointers to Hazel Rose. Alex couldn't stop bowling, and yes, they had to turn on the lights just to urge him off the lanes! Maybe individual parents dealt with their own kids' anxiety, but to us, they just seemed to be taking it all in stride and having a good time. And we'd been alerted to some parents' reservations about a visit from Mr. Pin, but as we looked around, most of the kids were laughing and smiling, and some (go Sage!) were even dancing!
Anything else you'd like to share about the bowlathon?
Our deep appreciation for everyone's efforts gathering pledges! We had an amazing rate of participation--37 families raised money for CCC. That has to be a record! And to date, we've raised more than $6,000, with pledges still coming in! Caroline here: At one point when the lights went off and disco lights went on, Michael Jackson blaring, I thought: "What have we done? Is this really appropriate for preschool children?" But as I braved the lanes to check in with families, I saw tons of happy faces and giggles, especially from the parents! It's one thing to be experiencing community within the magical grounds of CCC; it’s another thing entirely to feel community outside, contained and lots of laughter. I was so proud of being a part of CCC.
And what's next for team FUNdraising?
We are in the planning stages for the May 8th auction and for another new, yet-to-be-unveiled fundraising venture for CCC. Other plans include Dinner and a Movie. You go to dinner without the kids. We provide the movie and other nighttime activities. More info coming soon!
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