| First Name |
Tracey |
| Last Name |
Gibson |
| E-mail |
tlynngibson@shaw.ca |
| Club Name |
Kinette Club of Lake Cowichan |
| District # |
5 |
| Number of Members |
10 or less |
| Community Size |
Small community (less than 20,000) |
| Community Type |
Rural |
| Project Name |
Kin Christmas 4 Kids |
| Type of Project (check all that apply) |
Fair, Carnival, Member Recruitment, Other |
| If other, please describe |
Community Awareness |
| Was this project a fundraiser? |
No |
| Description of project |
The project was directed to local families and children and was set around a community event where these residents would be easy to see. It took approx 4 days, or 32 hours to prepare. This included searching for festive ideas (we volunteered during the Christmas Season) and creating meaningful content in a letter addressed to families introducing our membership, and some of the initiatives we are involved in. We thanked partnering sponsors for helping us with this event one of which included Island Savings Credit Union. The Credit Union provided us a bursary of which we applied for and with the funds we produced festive and fun bags for children that were given away during a Santa Clause parade held annually in our town. We had a table display with our Kinette banner and we mingled with a crowd sharing hot chocolate, caroling and of course, visits with Santa. It is also light up night in Lake Cowichan. We fit in perfectly to this great event and met/shook hands with many. Children lined up to meet us and kids took home bags of safety information, juice boxes, chocolates, candy canes, colouring books, crafts, glitter, pencils and erasers and more! It was very successful and we hope to do it again this year. |
| Service Hours |
21-50 |
| Did you leverage this project as a way to recruit new members? |
Yes |
| If you answered yes to the question above, please explain: |
This fun and successful event was attended by the Mayor and business owners alike. It is by all accounts a highly regarded event in town. So many had not heard of us and this really got the word out. As we explained our mandate, goals and of course the fun we have, we always mention that we are open to new members. Our contact information was included in the letter included in the packages given out that night. |
| How was this project promoted in your community? |
We were lucky enough that the event was well advertised by local newspaper, posters in store windows, the Lake Cowichan Chamber of Commerce website and social media such as Facebook. We simply applied as a vendor at one of the tables and we sat right next to Santa himself! |
| What were some challenges you faced with this project, and how could your project be improved? |
One challenge was ensuring we had bags for various ages groups. We met children aged 2 - 13 or 14 and everyone wanted a bag! Improvements could include something such as a wheel to spin for the older ones. The goodie bags were geared to the younger ones with letters to parents. I am not sure these letters with all our information would have got to the parents of the older kids. Although I planned for this, the response was overwhelming. We gave away approx 82 bags in less than 2 hours. |
| What was the approximate budget for this project? |
Less than $1,000 |
| If the project was a fundraiser, what were the sources of revenue for this project? |
This was not a fundraiser. Just giving back to the community with the help of a sponsor. We applied for the grant through a program called the GIFT program, which intends its grants go towards something geared for local families and children. Our idea was chosen and it was very successful. |
| If this was a fundraiser, how much money was raised (minus expenses)? |
Not Applicable |
| What were the expenses for this project? |
$500.00 |
| Is there anything else you would like to share that would assist another club in duplicating this project in their community? |
We felt as a group that this was a great way to get out to meet and greet with the locals, families and also work with other community groups and businesses such Country Grocer, the Lady of the Lake Society, various vendors. It was alot of fun and most places have Christmas or other seasonal functions going on so why not take advantage of that and have some fun yourselves! Worked great in our small town. Thank you :) |
