Need input on benefit show for bc.org

nash

Hi, girls. I need your input on something--I posted this over on Moving Beyond Cancer, before I realized there was a section for fundraisers--duh!

Anyhow, I am an adult figure skater, and I've gotten this idea about putting on an ice show where the proceeds would benefit bc.org and youngsurvival.org. I've started talking to people at the rink about the idea, but will need to put together something concrete before I go and ask rink managment for donated ice time.

I need to set up a non-profit organization first, and I need a name for it (which would be the name for the show), and that's where I need help from you girls. These are the names I've come up with so far--which one do you like the best, and can you think of any other names that might work?

1) Skate for Empowerment

2) Lifeline 

3) Pink at the Rink

Whichever name I go with, I'd have a secondary tag line underneath that would read "A skating show to benefit breast cancer", a third line that would say, "Advocacy*Education*Support" and then have the logos from bc.org and youngsurvival.org under that.

There's already shows out there called "Skate for Hope", "Skate for Life" and "Blades for the Cure", so I have to come up with something different. 

Thanks in advance for your help!

NoH8

have you thought of combining your ideas with one of the other organizations already in existence? Starting a nonprofit takes a lot of time and costs money so you might be better off working with an organization already up and running.

hollyann

I like Pink at the Rink...........Nash what state are you in?........If you are in Georgia I would like to try to help.....

Lucy 

nash

Thanks for the input, girls. Looks like Pink at the Rink it will be!

Lucy--I'm in Southern CA--thanks for the offer of help, though! I appreciate it.

Amy--you're right, starting a non-profit takes a lot of time and money. I pondered whom I could team up with, and was stumped. The other ice shows around the country that are similar to what I want to do all started their own non-profits, so that's why I was going to go that route. I did consider approaching bc.org to see if they would be up for contacting a skating production company, getting the production company to donate time, etc, and going at it that way, but then that seemed too hard to mesh the whole thing with the concept of having the local skaters in my area raise money to be able to skate in the show. 

Any ideas? I vacilate between thinking "I can do this and it will be great" and "holey moley, what am I getting myself into?!"

jenni__ca

nash wow that sounds like a lot of work but a great idea !!!! I love figure skating and dh and I have watched a lot of it over the years

where in so cal are you ? there are a fair share of us in so cal

i'm up in ventura county ...

nash

Hi, Jenni--I'm in North County San Diego. Just drove through your neck of the woods this month as part of a road trip we took.

LUVmy2girlZ

 I think its a great idea...and ya know what ?  SOMEONE has to start right...and it IS for an awesome cause no less!  I wish you the BEST!!!

Oh, wouldn't this be something ? ....

Much LUV

Pink Think Hits the Rinks

By DC Sports Chick Tuesday, January 15, 2008

I have never been a huge fan of pink, especially when it comes to hockey jerseys. However, it's different when it comes to charity. Breast cancer awareness is at an all-time high, thanks to leagues like the NHL and AHL, among others, who host a multitude of events every season. Coaches wear pink ties; players use pink tape, pink sticks, and pink pucks to be auctioned off later- the list is endless. It's a well-respected cause that deserves attention. So what's the problem?

You get gimmicks like the one that happened in Norfolk on Saturday. I applaud the creativity, but what a strange idea. Not surprisingly, comments like this one emerged:

The much-discussed "pink ice" wound up taking on a dark, fuschia-like tint, which made for a striking visual from the stands but provided players with an unusual challenge.

"We had no idea where the red line or the blue line were," Jancevski, the Admirals captain, said with a smile. "Everything just looked pink."

Not to mention extremely distracting. The ice became the primary focal point as opposed to the players, and it had to be difficult for fans to watch the game. There's been a lot of talk about the pink ice, but that discussion didn't necessarily translate into donations.

It's only one game, and it's for a good cause, right? But perhaps that's part of the problem. "It's for a good cause" is frequently the phrase associated with these events. And this seems to allow organizers license to come up with unusual, unrelated gimmicks- as long as it's pink, anything goes. (I'm just waiting for the day that pink jock straps are auctioned off.) Some of the events seem almost patronizing, such as selling pink rhinestone pins, pink purses, anything that's pink. Plus, there's some doubt about how much of the fundraising actually goes to the cause. The silent auctions hosted by clubs may generate a lot of interest and revenue, but how much goes to the charity- and how much does the charity use on its mission? An October 2007 article in the Detroit News provided a good analysis of the situation, and one woman quoted in the article brought up a good point:

"I'd rather give directly to the charity because then more of my hard-earned money goes to charity," Koledo said.

Breast cancer research and awareness is critical and deserves everyone's support. (Don't forget, men get breast cancer too.)

BRCA 1 & 2 neg. Mastectomy 7 weeks radiation (35 rounds) Laughter, is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life....
Dx 11/19/2007, DCIS, 5cm, Stage 0, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER-/PR-

LUVmy2girlZ

You could also have raffle prizes...you can start off w/ companies donating goods and making large goodie baskets...Sell tickets ....winner gets the raffle prize.

 Oh, and despite what the article states being "patronized" I love pink crystal pins and pink purses! LOL

nash

LUV, I googled "Pink at the Rink" after I thought of the name, and saw that several hockey teams were using the phrase and doing bc benefits. Thanks for posting that link--wow, the ice looks aweful pink! Which is good to know, b/c one of the woman I talked to who does a bc show tints her ice pink, although I'm sure she goes with a better shade of it. It was good to see a picture of it. Yikes.

A raffle is a good idea. I was also thinking of a silent auction.