Party with a purpose: "Come Fly With Us"

The low down
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, five students (myself included) from Centennial College’s Corporate Communications & PR program held an event called “Come Fly With Us.” Held at The Local Company on the Danforth, the goal of the travel-themed event was to grant the travel wish of Tyler, a young boy suffering from a brain tumour. Tyler’s wish was to go to Disney World and “Come Fly With Us” helped turn that dream into reality.

The theme
The event incorporated travel decor and activities, including a balloon pop, raffle and travel trivia. A specialty drink called the “Red Eye” was also served to promote the theme, with a portion of sales donated directly to the charity. To further enhance the travel theme, event hosts were dressed as flight attendants throughout the evening and event tickets were printed as boarding passes.

The decor
The decor throughout the lounge incorporated small silver airplanes, travel magazines and candle centre pieces. Soft lighting and ambient music helped create an intimate atmosphere where guests were free to mingle, relax and enjoy themselves while supporting a great cause. A slide show video displayed travel images of destinations from around the world, producing an inviting environment that suited the overall travel theme of the event.

The food
To satisfy hungry travelers, guests were offered mini bags of pretzels and a selection of hors d’oeuvres. Included in the selection were bruschetta, chicken wrapped in phyllo pastry and, last but not least, mini portions of Tyler’s favourite food: pizza.

The prizes
The raffles, balloon pop and travel trivia activities were very popular among guests. Prizes included two round-trip air vouchers to any Porter Airlines destination, a pair of 9th row Platinum Toronto Maple Leafs tickets, two $100 Flight Centre gift certificates and much more. Some guests were buying raffle tickets by the dozen!

The purpose? Increased awareness and funds raised
As a token of appreciation, guests were given gift bags as they left the event. Inside each gift bag was a slip of paper directing guests to an online event evaluation form. The results of the evaluation showed that “Come Fly With Us” increased awareness for the Make-A-Wish Foundation among 83 per cent of guests. Not bad!

So... how did we do?
The event was a success and could not have been possible without the support of local companies who generously provided sponsorship. “Come Fly With Us” raised $2,770 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all funds will be channelled towards sending Tyler and his family to Disney World at the end of February.