With Alpha Gamma Delta’s 18th Annual Fashion Show almost a week away Her Campus SJU thought this was the perfect time to interview Avery Carter, Philanthropy Chair and Her Campus SJU VP.
What is the theme of AGD’s Fashion Show?
The theme of this year’s fashion show is GAMble Away Diabetes. The show is going to be Vegas and casino themed with lots of black, red, white and glitz!
What will the night look like?
First and foremost, the night will be FUN! My aim for all guests is to have a good time and be blown away by our raffle baskets, decorations, entertainment and of course our fashion show. Our fashions for the second year in a row will be provided by Lord and Taylor on City Ave. The City Belles will be singing at intermission, as usual and they are always fantastic. Some new additions that we have this year are a DJ, casino themed games like black jack, roulette and a money machine that blows money everywhere that you can catch. We also will have a photo booth with print outs that you will be able to take home and we have upped the raffle baskets to 45 baskets and prizes this year! There will be snacks, mingling and much more! Our wonderful MC’s from SJU’s very own Improv club Scott Scherer and Scott Kenkelen will be hosting the show. Every year, we try to top the amount we raised in the previous year and I think we are well on our way to doing just that.
What types of prizes and games will be there?
There will be around 45 raffle baskets which feature some amazing prizes like an SJU Parking Pass, an Apple TV, Eagles tickets complete with VIP Parking and much more. Every theme you can think of, we probably have a basket for! I really tried to focus on there being something there that each guest will want, whether you are a student, a girl, a guy, a parent or a teacher. Our sisters worked hard brainstorming on what should go into each basket theme and I am so excited for everyone to see our amazing raffle items! We also had a lot of wonderful parents and local businesses donate baskets. We will have a 50/50 raffle, too! Game wise, we will have three black jack tables, one roulette wheel, the blowing money machine and a photo booth. There is some type of entertainment for everyone as well.
How did you come up with the theme idea?
I remember coming up with the idea in late August when I was in AC I had been mulling over several ideas with plays on words for the name of the show, and the name of the show just came to me- even before the theme did. I thought there was a lot we could do with this theme decoration and entertainment wise, so I went with it!
What goes into planning an event this size?
Well, a lot of planning ahead and a lot of outreach. I started my plans for the show in July. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful philanthropy committee that is so interested in making a difference and helping out. They have been instrumental in helping me get so many things done for the show, including decorations. It is such a large scale event and it would not be possible without the help of others. So much hard work goes into our show each year, and our chapter is fortunate to have girls that are driven, talented and passionate about helping others. Decorations are a huge part of event, outreach to local businesses for ads and raffle items, outreach to parents and family members for ads and ticket sales, and of course there is the marketing aspect on campus to sell tickets to our student body to get them to attend.
What do you do on campus to get the word out?
We sell tickets at free period in the Library and Campion, hang flyers, create a Facebook event and spread good word of mouth throughout campus by telling EVERYONE we encounter. We specifically reach out to all club leaders and leaders of greek organizations so they can inform their organizations about our event. We really reach out to freshman too, by having our RA’s reach out to their residents to inform them about the show. We also did a pretty cool marketing campaign this year and left playing cards on tables in all buildings throughout campus- when your turned the playing card over, all details about the fashion show were on the back side.
What do the proceeds of the show support?
100% of the proceeds support the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation. Alpha Gamma Delta has our very own foundation, which makes our chapter really unique. The Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation supports diabetes research, education and awareness. They give grants to people that suffer from diabetes for school, treatment and even provide grants for diabetic children to go to special diabetic camps, where they learn how to care for their disease.
Do you think you will reach your fundraising goal?
I really hope we do, and I think we are well on our way. Our main ways of making money at this event are 50/50 tickets, raffle basket tickets, actual show tickets and program advertisements. I am really passionate about our philanthropy and I can only hope I make other people just as passionate as I am. One of my favorite parts about the show is seeing the ads parents put in our program for their daughters. You can tell that they are so proud of their daughters and it is amazing to see all the support for our philanthropy and for our sisters.