Raising funds for charity - a golf marathon

Las Vegas Golf Courses attract Golf Marathon 2 from British Columbia, Canada

March 2, 2013 (Las Vegas) Sunshine and great golf courses in the Las Vegas area have a lot going for them in March – especially for Canadian golfers. Something about wet and rainy weather in British Columbia, and snow in most of the rest of Canada, sends golfers south.

This is why four amateur golfers decided to turn an annual golf holiday into a charity-fundraising golf marathon. Canadians Jim Kennedy, Lyall May, Steve Zenone, and Mike Bryant will be golfing 36 holes each day, with of goal of 1100 holes of golf, raising funds for the BC Hospitality Foundation “Tip Out to Help” Campaign. Golf Marathon 1, in October, 2012, saw them play 983 holes of golf. Golf Marathon 2 added an extra day to enable at least 1100 holes.

Normally, on a golf getaway, the fun-loving foursome would golf one round each day, perhaps with a couple extra rounds thrown in. The “GoGolf 4 BCHF Team” invite pledges and “tips” for their golfing endeavour. They have promised to golf 36 holes, daily, from March 2 to 10, 2013. The employees at Versacold Derwent Way, where Zenone and Kennedy work, have really got into the fundraising. At time of press Versacold staff had pledged over $500.00. The marathon is becoming a badge of honour.

This golf marathon attracted some attention in October of 2012. Golfers got it – 1000 holes of golf, in 7 days, that’s a lot of golf. Especially when daylight is around 7 am, dark is around 5:30 pm. Golfing dawn to dusk takes on new meaning. Even if the foursome plays well (remember, they are amateurs, and these guys aren’t spring chickens) shooting an average score of 80, with one practice stroke each shot, that means over 2500 golf swings in a week. People thought this was worth pledging a penny or two a hole; and the foursome raised over $2000.00 for the BC Hospitality Foundation.

The 2012 Tip Out to Help Campaign raised over $100,000.00.

Las Vegas golf courses thought this was a charity worth supporting, and this golf marathon was a good cause. Most of the courses were able to schedule the foursome in at daybreak, giving them the first tee-time of the day. Then, after a quick bite to eat, the foursome went back out early afternoon for round 2. March 2013, this same routine for eight days straight, on eight different courses, will help them reach the goal. A few courses they have played before, a few courses are new.

Jim Bolla and Par 4 Golf Management have been remarkable supporters of the Go Golf 4 BCHF team. One hundred percent of funds raised go to the BC Hospitality Foundation; the support of the Las Vegas golf courses allows them to golf more rounds in their charitable endeavour. The foursome covers all expenses themselves. They donated over $1000 as a team to the Foundation, thanks, in part, to the generosity of the Las Vegas golf courses.

Bing Smith, Chair of the BC Hospitality Foundation, says: “The Go Golf team makes a difference. Not only raising funds for the foundation, but, simple awareness for the foundation. The Tip Out To Help Campaign is year round. This golf marathon keeps us in the public eye – lets people know we are there to help them, in times of medical need.”

Anyone and everyone are invited to pledge support or to “Tip Out” the team. Donating online at www.tipouttohelp.com is the easiest way. Click on the team name – GoGolf 4 BCHF – and pledge or tip any amount. Tax receipts are issued

Primm Valley Golf Club, Badlands Golf Club, and Silverstone Golf Club, courses managed by Par 4 Golf Management, have hosted the foursome. They are kicking off the charity golf marathon with these three courses, March 2, 3 and 4, 2013. Sunshine, a warm welcome and great golf. Not a bad way to raise funds for a wonderful charity.

For Further Information, please contact:

Dawn Donahue

Go Golf Events Management

dawn@gogolfevents.com

604-628-9547

Advisory Board Director, BCHF

Bing Smith

Chair, BC Hospitality Foundation

bingsmith@shaw.ca

604-329-9307                                    

                                                                                                               

About the Foundation: www.bchospitalityfoundation.com  

Hope. Opportunity. Inspiration.

The British Columbia Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) provides financial support for individuals within the hospitality community who are coping with extraordinary costs arising from a serious health crisis. The Foundation also awards scholarships and bursaries to students enrolled in hospitality programmes in BC.

Our vision is to be the industry’s charity of choice, providing financial support for individuals within the hospitality community who are coping with extraordinary costs arising from a serious health or medical crisis.

Our mission is to offer financial assistance, beyond traditional medical benefits and insurances, to individuals within the hospitality community in their times of critical health or medical need. As well, we are committed to supporting the industry’s next generation by providing scholarships and bursaries to selected students enrolled in hospitality and culinary programs at partner schools in BC.

Who We Are:

We are a group of people who work together to help our own within the hospitality community. Together with a number of dedicated volunteers and partners, we raise funds to provide our colleagues hope, inspiration, and a helping hand by providing support when they are coping with extraordinary costs arising from a serious health or medical crisis, and that cost is not covered by conventional medical plans, EI, or other insurances or benefit plans.

In addition, a portion of the funds we raise provides scholarships and bursaries to selected students enrolled in hospitality or culinary programmes at partner post-secondary schools within British Columbia.

Tip Out to Help Campaign:

The Tip Out To Help campaign gives every person in BC’s hospitality industry an opportunity to help the BCHF—to help themselves. Register yourself or a team right now and help raise funds to fill the world’s largest tip jar. By joining your colleagues, you’ll be able to help those in our industry who need it. Together, we can make a difference.

The Hosting Golf Courses:

Par 4 Golf Management www.par4golfmanagement.com

Jim Bolla

702 210 6101

www.primmvalleygolf.com www.badlandsgc.com www. silverstonegolf.com

OB Sports Management – Coyote Springs Golf Course, Legacy Golf Club, Painted Desert Golf Club

www.obsportsmanagement.com

TPC Las Vegas Golf Course - www.tpc.com/tpc-las-vegas

Supporting Golf Courses

The Revere Golf Club/Troon Golf www.reveregolf.com

Dennis Piekarski 702.617.5757

Las Vegas Paiute Golf Courses -www.lvpaiutegolf.com

Some Great Fundraising Tips

As Conference Director for The Canadian Culinary Federation, I was asked to offer ideas on how the local chapters could raise funds to send their junior chefs to the annual conference. 

Everyone realizes the value of attending a conference, of the face time, the education, the networking, business development and so forth. However, it definitely is challenging for students or newly entering the work force to attend these wonderful career building events - heck, in today's economy it is a challenge for all budgets to send everyone who would gain from attending a conference.

here are some ideas - (also posted on our CCFCC2011 blog)

Some Great Fundraising Tips

Want to attend the CCFCC 2011 National Conference, but don't know how to fund it? Keep reading!

The CCFCC 2011 Conference Committee was asked if we had any thoughts on chapters raising money to attend the annual National Chefs Conference – asked by many groups actually. 

We wish to share a few ideas with you.

Saving Money takes a lot of time and effort – nevertheless, if you invest some time into research on the internet, into networking and business development, and into your community, you can always save money.

The Short list of Ideas: (for those who don’t have time to read everything below)

· Fundraise – sell your services – people love good food – cook for them!

· Ask people to donate points for air or hotel

· Ask people you do business with to sponsor your association

· Invest in saving money with your time and research on the internet

· Ask experts for their help – travel agencies, marketing and sales, chamber of commerce, successful fundraisers – ask them for advice – not to do the work for you

· Give back to those that help you – support their business, write thank you letters, mention them by name in print, Facebook, Twitter

o Network – that is the key to success, and a big reason to attend conferences

The longer list – with more details:

o Host a fundraiser as an association

§ Each chef could cook dinner for 8 people, in someone’s home, with 4 courses and wine, that you could auction this off, or raffle this off for a $1000 per dinner

· Invite food and beverages partners to provide the ingredients

· Make sure your written menu includes their names and companies

§ Chef Poyan Danesh donated a dinner for 8, with appetizer and welcome cocktail, three course dinner with wine, dessert (and of course, shopping, menu planning, and cleanup) – sold for $2000!

o Host cooking classes

§ It is truly a time that families want to get back to preparing their own meals

· People want to learn to cook healthy, wholesome, family meals

o Organize with your local hardware stores or plant and landscaping stores or…. Well you get it

§ to cook hot dogs and sell pop every Saturday and Sunday – many businesses will match your funds, give you the storefront space

§ think outside the box – barbecue veggies, stuffed potatoes, “prawns on the Barbie”

· whatever your community will allow you to do

· include your suppliers and new products – great marketing opportunity for suppliers

o Make chocolates, caramels, etc - box them up and sell them – Easter coming up, Mothers day – get your local supplier to sponsor the ingredients

§ You could raise 10K in no time with chocolates

o Host a soup cooking competition – cold days, coming to spring – hit the local fairs, or farmers market – sell soup each Saturday and Sunday for a few weeks

§ Great homemade soup! People love it

· Add in an artisan bread or roll; even do soup and sandwiches!

· Be a member of airlines, hotels, car rentals

o Sign up online – watch for their specials and deals

· Go to your local travel agency – especially if you spend any money with them

o Ask them to see if they can get you a flight and/or hotel package sponsored thru their partners

o Maybe even visit a couple travel agencies and invite their support

· Ask your associates and corporate members if they have airline points they will donate to you and your members to fly out

o Oftentimes sales reps have so many airline points they would love to help out

· Ask the suppliers you do the most business with to sponsor the association to come out

o Or a portion of it – something is better than nothing

· Put together a letter of request to potential sponsors

o These sponsors can be numerous

§ Your suppliers and business associates

§ Local chamber of commerce

§ Local bank

§ Local car dealerships

§ Local associations that your association has helped or donated time and food to

· Outline what you are asking for – flights, hotels and conference package - $1500 to $2000 per person (with hotel, flights and conference package, it can be done for as little as $1500)

§ Outline the benefits to them

§ You will support their business and buy this amount of product over the next year (a shorter timeline if you can commit to it)

§ You will have their logo put on your delegate badge

· We can do that for you

§ You will write a thank you letter to them

§ You will write an article about them and their support for Mis en Place

§ You will mention them on facebook, twitter, and social media

o Outline why you should attend this conference

§ What this education, seminars, and networking does for you, your company, and your association

§ Read my article in mis en place – or the blog, about why people should attend conferences

§ Include this in the letter

o Take the attached sponsorship package to Cogeco and invite them to be a sponsor

§ They have a good opportunity to get involved with the association and gain recognition

§ As your employer, the article in Mis en Place would help for you to apply to them for financial support

For the Vancouver 2011 conference – specific ideas

· Google cheap flights – yesterday there was a $200 round trip flight from Toronto to Vancouver with Sunwing

o Sign up for flight alerts – when seats go on sale – grab them

§ Check out last minute sales, vacations, etc

§ Often you can get a hotel and flight package, with transfers, at a great price

· Fly out of the States – there are always cheap, cheap flights – fly into Bellingham or Seattle

o Right now Bellingham to Vancouver on Amtrak is on sale for $13 each way.

§ There is a shuttle from Bellingham airport to Amtrak.

§ Seattle to Vancouver is on sale with Amtrak for $36

· Reach out to your associate members in Vancouver – ask if they will pick you up at the Bellingham airport – it is only an hour or so out of Vancouver – depending on traffic

· Finally, consider investing in your own education and development

o This is a great 4 days to a week, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the delegate fees subsidized by 50%

§ Where in the world could you eat, drink, learn, and network, for 4 days, for $500.00

· All food and beverages, plus a black tie gala, for such a low, low price

· Not to mention the education seminars, and the world class chefs that will be in attendance, hosting round table sessions

· Make it a holiday with your family

o Research Tourism Vancouver, get a good deal on a suite or a condo – there are good deals to be had if you work at it

§ As long as you are staying anywhere downtown, you are only a 15 minute walk from the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside–

§ If you get closer to false creek you are a 30 minute walk, or a 10 minute bus ride

§ Or, stay on the north shore (north Vancouver) – the seabus comes right across to the waterfront – a five minute walk to the hotel

§ Or, stay in Richmond, near the Canada Line Sky train – 30 minute ride into the hotel

· Remember, a good idea is only good if it is put in place

o Raising money is hard work, and takes time – but, if you commit to it, then, you will be successful

o Make a list of everything you and your chapter have done for the community

§ Then ask the community to give back to you now

o Make a list of everyone you spend money with – all 7 of you

§ Your bank, insurance agency, cars, furniture, equipment, food and beverages

· Ask them to sponsor you

· In return, you will continue to do business with them

Start Now for the 2012 Conference!

Put Fundraising for the Annual Conference into your Chapters Annual Strategic Plan.

Cheers

Dawn Donahue. Strategic Planner, Event Producer

National CCFCC Conference Director