Tim Kelly, executive director of the United Way Cayuga County, spoke to the students on March 12 in the new, 3-credit Event Planning course.
This semester marks the beginning of a new 3-credit Event Planning class at Cayuga CC. Under the instruction of Amy Valente, students are being walked, step-by-step, through the “behind the scenes” planning, preparation, and management that goes into hosting a successful event. Specific topics covered in the class include location planning, budgeting, venue requirements/contracts, menu planning, event marketing, guest registration, and risk/issue management.
Each student is also required to work on a major event project. Students are allowed to either choose from a list of area events already in progress or create their own event. Some of the events being worked on are:
- Teaching with Spatial Technology Marketing Workshop (GIS Institute),
- Winter Fest (IGNITE),
- Dollars for Disaster and Real Heroes Breakfast (American Red Cross),
- Burgers, Blues, and Baseball (Cayuga Community Health Network),
- United Way Golf Tournament Fundraiser (United Way of Cayuga County), and
- FBLA/PBL Talent Show.
Additionally, several guest speakers from area businesses are scheduled to speak to the class to offer true life experiences to the class.
Through FBLA/PBL, I have chosen to create a fundraising event for Air 1: Search an Rescue Helicopter, which is stationed in Onondaga County. Until recently, they operated through the support of their own county’s funding, but that is no longer the case. They are challenged with raising $595,000 per year to keep their airship going. According to John Balloni, Chief Deputy of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, “Over the past five years, we have averaged 7.2 missions to Cayuga County each year. While that is not a lot of missions, it is significant and almost all those flights are major life safety missions.”
The event that I am coordinating along with fellow classmates, the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES New Visions Legal Studies Class, and FBLA/PBL, is a Daddy-Daughter Dance. While we are still early in the planning process, we have already secured a venue, musical entertainment, photographer, and restaurant caterer, all of which have either been generously donated or substantially discounted. We have a long way to go to make this fundraising event successful – working with a budget of “zero” dollars.
I was inspired to help Air 1 because I have a very personal connection to the cause; both of my sons have been seriously injured resulting in airlifts – two months apart. Luckily for us – air rescue was available. On behalf of everyone who is diligently working on this project, we would welcome the support of any individual or club who is interested in joining this fundraising endeavor. We meet every Monday from 11 a.m.-12 noon in Room M244, Auburn Campus. The Air 1 Daddy-Daughter Dance is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 20, 2012, at the new Sennett Fire Hall and admission is advance sale only.
I can be reached at dperrault@cayuga-cc.edu.