What the Flock?

{I am thankful that I have the ability to give to and serve others.  I have been blessed with resources and my health so that I may help those around me who are less fortunate.}


What I'm Loving Wednesday: Philanthropy Style

I love a good prank.  Don't you?  Want to know what even better than a prank?  Performing a prank and raising funds for a good cause!  My organization chooses to donate monetary efforts and time to Toys for Tots.  Twice a year, my department holds a fundraiser to support the cause.  For years, we have done candy grams at Valentine's and Halloween.  We fill bags with candy, sell them for a dollar, and deliver them on the holiday.  BORING.  So this fall, we put our heads together and came up with the greatest fundraiser of all time in our building...Flamingo Flocking!

So here's what we did:

• Purchased 40 standing lawn flamingos from Oriental Trading along with 100 inflatable flamingos
• We covered boxes with blue plastic tablecloths and stuck 4 yard flamingos in each
• Created flyers to post around the building for advertisement
• Sold "flocking insurance" for $5 if you did not want to be "flocked"
• For $5 you could chose to "flock" a co-worker (this flocking could be unanimous) which consisted of one box of yard flamingos and 10 inflatable friends
• Once you were "flocked", you could pay $1 to have them removed or $3 to "flock it forward" to another co-worker

Let me tell you, this has been a hit in our office!  Our department secretly flocks before work begins, during lunch, and after the victims leave for the evening.  They come back to their cube or office to find that a flock has landed!  With over 1,000 employees just in our building, we never expected the response we have gotten.  Even our VPs and Executives love the fundraiser and have supported generously!  So far we raised $1,000 to purchase toys to donate to Toys for Tots, and we still have a few days left.

Check out some of these pictures from our recent "flockings":

{Our fine feathered friends waiting to go out}

{The like large offices!}

{Their favorite is a window view}

{See what I mean?! he he}

{They love our feathered friends!}

Don't get me wrong.  This has been a lot of fun, but it has also been a lot of work!  Some of the members on our team have worked extremely hard to make sure this fundraiser was successful.  From the creativity of signs, posters, and notices, to organizing the schedule, to the actual "flocking", it has been a great experience!  

During the month of December, our atrium fills with toys for little boys and girls.  The money that we have raised will be used to purchase many gifts for the less fortunate.  One of the local news anchors will be here in the middle of December with a group of Marines to broadcast live from our atrium!  It is such a blessing to be able to give to such a good cause.

Does your organization donate their time and effort to any special philanthropies?

What was the best fundraiser that you participated in?