Posts Tagged ‘Barbecue’

Celebrate Independence Day by serving others!

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

Barbecues, family time, and soaking up the sun tend to go hand-in-hand with the fourth of July; however, why not do all of those activities in addition to serving others? That’s right, fourth of July is a perfect time to get out and serve others, as there are a plethora of volunteer opportunities set aside for this day.  Here are four ways you can have fun this fourth of July while also spending your time helping others.

  1. Volunteer for a Bicycle race!This is a great opportunity to volunteer while watching bicycle racing up close without leaving town. Often, cycling races involve a variety of for your entire family, Enjoy a few hours or an entire day of bicycle racing with plenty of time to prepare for the evening’s fireworks and other festivities.
  2. Volunteers are needed for all of those July 4th Parades! Parades and the fourth of July are synonymous with each other along with all of the hard work that goes into making a parade successful. Additionally, volunteers are also quite important for parade activities and logistics. Parade volunteer activities range anywhere from sandwich makers needed to serve parade participants to the banner carriers needed during the parade to volunteers needed to help clean up at the conclusion of the parade. Parade volunteer activities are endless and open for all ages, allowing for you and your family to participate.
  3. Road Race volunteers are extremely important to fourth of July races! Volunteers are needed to help keep the road free from any debris, pass out water, announce times to runners, and so on.
  4. Celebrate your service to others! That’s right dedicated volunteers, veterans, and active duty soldiers, this also your day to celebrate your year-long service to others! Many cities are hosting free concerts and events to celebrate the service of others and express sincere appreciation for their work. So, gather your family, get out, and enjoy yourself!

Today, we hope you’re able to take time to celebrate all of the things that make this country great, and that when you do it, you take a moment to think of everyone that’s working to make America an even better place to call home. Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

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Posted in Events, Family Volunteering, Inspire, Just for Fun, Kids | No Comments »

Make Your Memorial Day BBQ Worth More

Monday, May 28th, 2012

Happy Memorial Day! Today is the perfect time for backyard barbecue and busting out your favorite white jeans. Today is also the perfect time to do a little social good for your community.

Last week, we discussed how to honor your community’s military men and women on Memorial Day. You can take those ideas one step further by turning your Memorial Day celebration into a charity event to benefit military service men, veterans, families, or organizations working with military.

Choose a cause or individual that touches you, and raise donations during your party!

How will you do this? Check out our steps below for fundraising success!

  1. Brainstorm with guests prior to the event: Ask your guests to do some research on military needs and nonprofit organizations that work with military or military families. Come up with a list of organizations that you can relate to. Come together as a group to make a uniformed decision about which cause you want to support at your event. When you draw up your invitations, let guests know that you will be collecting donations at your celebration, if they would like to donate.
  2. Contact the organization that you wish to help: Give the organization of your choice a heads up that you are hosting a benefit event in hopes of collecting donations for them. The organization may have certain items they need instead of monetary donations. Some organizations do not accept monetary donations.
  3. Define a purpose: Let your guests know the purpose of your benefit event. Whether your purpose is to help out a veteran in your community, or to collect money for a nonprofit because you like their mission, it is important to let guests know where their money will be going.
  4. Assign a leader to the event: Assign a leader to the fundraising aspect of your event. Someone should be in charge of collecting the donations. It is also important to assign a role to the person who will be making the actual donation.
  5. Alert the community: Ask guests if they would like to get the community involved in fundraising. Do you want to make this event internal or external? These questions can be answered in line with your fundraising goals. What are you trying to accomplish through your event?
  6. Make it fun: Assign a theme to your Memorial Day event. Guests are more likely to have a good time and be more involved in your purpose, if they are enjoying the atmosphere. Whether your theme is Memorial Day barbecue or an All-American party, just have a good time!
  7. Say thank-you: Let your guests know how thankful you are for their contributions at your event. If you want to hold another similar event, guests are more likely to give again, if they feel like their actions were appreciated.
  8. Spread the benefits: If possible, let guests know how their donations benefited the community or the chosen organization or individual. Did their donation provide a military family in need with a warm meal? However your event benefited the community; let guests know so they have a tangible mission to hold on to.

 

Memorial Day is a great way to have fun with friends and family, but remember to support your troops while you are having fun!

Are you turning your Memorial Day celebration into more than just a day of barbecue? Let us know about it in the comments section below!

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Posted in Events, Fundraising & Development, Military | No Comments »