What a night full of sparkles and stars! It was so exciting to co-host with the glamorous Sabel Scities on Project Transitions’ virtual fundraiser extravaganza April Showers Online 2020 on April 26, 2020.
In all of the pre-event promotion on social media our motto was simple: get cute and grab your drink, because it’s Sunday Funday! We promised to dazzle and entertain and lifting up our family living with HIV. This was all to help Project Transitions continue their valuable life-line services: housing, food, and round-the-clock recuperative care for our most vulnerable community.
Through a video sharing the three powerful stories of Project Transitions’ clients, Ruby, Stanly, and Jose, our goal for the Fund-a-Need was to Fund-a-Nurse! The weekend nurse at Doug’s House provides round-the-clock recuperative care where residents often make a miraculous full recovery like Jose, and then go on to live in housing by Project Transitions.
The emotion felt in the heartwarming Fund-a-Need appeal was echoed through the cameo appearances by Emmy-award actor Billy Porter and Carson Kressley with Queer Eye, with a personalized message showing their support for Project Transitions’ important work in the community.
“Oh, take me away!” Those were the words typed in the chat box when viewers were picturing the swaying palm trees with a never spilling margarita in hand as the video rolled to describe the one live auction package for a 7-night stay at a luxurious, ocean-front Mexico beach resort.
The silent auction opened for bidding earlier in the week with lots of bidding activity on the unique items from generous businesses and from Top Drawer Thrift, Project Transition’s funky and fun thrift store with a huge heart. A lot of bidders must have wanted the very cute and retro Hallicrafters 1952 Continental Radio in their home or office. Another favorite was the special designer masks from Project Runway Fan Fave Daniel Esquivel.
In less than 5 weeks, our partners at Project Transitions jumped into this brave new world of virtual fundraising and performed these tasks:
- Created a tight and scripted 37-minute Run of Show;
- Social media postings through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter;
- Engaging the presenting sponsor Rain on 4th in the promotion;
- Acquired silent auction items;
- Prepared written scripts;
- Recorded client and supporter videos;
- Multiple script read-thrus with co-hosts;
- Dress rehearsal; and
- Prerecorded the co-hosts segment through Streamyard on April 20;
- Videographer embedded overlays, PowerPoint slides and all of the videos for the entire prerecording during the week of April 20
Project Transitions’ fabulous virtual fundraising extravaganza was livestreamed for 37-minutes on Facebook Live and YouTube on Sunday, April 26 at 3:00pm, reaching more than 2,000 online views.
Click here to relive view April Showers Online 2020 video and here to flip through the photo album. You’ll be glad you did!
If you’re ready to make your next virtual fundraiser fabulous and FUN, contact Gayle Stallings today.
