Chapter Spotlight – Gamma Tau (Willamette)
Gamma Tau (Willamette) got the entire community involved with their first ever philanthropy event, #CardiacOverCoffee! Former Director of Philanthropy Mikayla Carias tells us the whole story.
Event Name: #CardiacOverCoffee
Location: Started at Willamette University and ended at Taproot Lounge and Café
How long did it take to plan the event?
Less than 2 months
Who attended the event?
Alpha Phi sisters, Willamette Greek groups, and university community members.
Tell us about the event:
It was a two week long coffee detox. The participants were expected to save up the money they would have been spending on coffee and bring it to the final party at Taproot Lounge and Café to be counted and collected. The two highest donors/participants won a prize. From 4-6pm on the final day, a portion of sales went to our philanthropy. We had a total of 5 prizes being raffled off with each person entering at $3.
How did you secure your partnership with the café?
In a community like Salem, students and business owners are often familiar with each other. We were able to convince the business owner to jump on board to promote heart health, while also helping his thriving new business. Taproot was the best means to attract the attention of our caffeine addicts and those who prefer to go entirely coffee free so our final event had more mass appeal.
What was your favorite part of the event?
My favorite part was the end of the event celebration at the cafe because we were able to see how many people truly participated. It was nice to see the hard work come to a successful close. As a new chapter, Gamma Tau was looking for the best way to be a part of the campus and get community involvement! #CardiacOverCoffee was a great way to directly reach the community, so we could all join together for a common cause.
What tips would you offer other chapters looking to start an event like this?
My tips would be to start planning for the event further in advance, organize small committees to disperse tasks, and create and promote more incentives for chapter members and donors. Small committees would be helpful to reach other businesses for support to maximized exposure and participation. We would also suggest having incentives through a points system for members who use the hashtag on social media. Also, locate the areas around campus that are best for advertising your event to encourage more people to go to an off-campus location.