Dinner Dance a Hit
Elk Grove, CA (pop. 120,000) Over the course of two years, the seven women of GFWC Elk Grove Laguna Women's Club of California raised $44,000 to support the purchase of four Bullard T3LT Thermal Imagers for the Elk Grove Fire Department. Money came from a variety of sources, including local service organizations, clubs, businesses and residents. A March 2004 dinner dance at the town hall, with raffle prizes and a silent auction, brought in $9,000. Local restaurants and grocers donated all supplies for the dinner. Members of the Elk Grove Lions Club donated and cooked the meat, and local high school students served the meal. The Elk Grove Community Orchestra arranged for a 16 piece jazz band to play at the event.
Chairwoman Adelay Idler: "During the course of the campaign, a firefighter with a thermal imager went around with me to all service organizations in town, and anyone else having a meeting that was printed in the paper. I found that we consistently raised more money when we had the unit with us.”
Funding Tip: The GFWC Elk Grove Laguna Women’s Club tapped into a number of community resources to contribute to a well-orchestrated and profitable event. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words: demonstrate a thermal imager at every opportunity during your campaign!