Thursday, May 22, 2008

Progress

Good news today- the date auction issue has almost been resolved- to the satisfaction of all parties involved (ah, what wonderful words!). Well, I shouldn't celebrate too early, since it is not a done deal, but it is finally on the right track. Probably the track it should have been on six months ago, but we all live and learn. I am really excited for the event, because it is terrific and has the capacity to become a huge fundraiser for us.

What else is new? We have a donation scheduled to an ambulance company near Boston which provides emergency ambulance service for nine Boston area towns. So I am really happy that we have reached them. It seems that quite a lot of communities have their ambulance service separate from the fire department. So instead of providing items to police and fire departments, we also need to make sure that we are reaching the ambulance companies in those communities.

Yesterday was a roller coaster day- I spoke with a number of totally unhelpful people in regards to fundraising- both auction items and event sponsorship, but then rebounded later in the day and picked up a number of gift card donations. One person was particularly annoying- a local restaurant owner. He wouldn't donate a gift card for our silent auction because I wasn't holding the event at his restaurant. He told me that I should have held it as his restaurant this year and we should hold it at his place next year and then he'd donate a gift card. Seriously- why would I ever hold an event at a location that is not even supportive of our work? Our event brings revenue to the establishment with food and drink sales. So, if I was going to hold it at a restaurant (which I'm not because the Sheraton is the best venue for our type of event), I would choose the number of other equally local (and quite nicer) restaurants that have supported us for the past few years. Anyways, all he had to say was he couldn't do it and spare me that bizarre interaction.

Well, that's about it for today. Off to bed- have to write my list first. Until next time friends..

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