Great Publicity/Advertising Opportunity

By Aaron S. Robertson

Wanted to plant this seed in your minds...

This spring, from March 11th-May 20th, I will be participating in a friendly fundraising competition for the Wisconsin Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's title of Man of the Year for the Milwaukee region (see press release).

The LLS's Man and Woman of the Year competition is held over a ten week period each spring, and raises critical funds and awareness for such things as medical research, education and outreach, and aid to patients battling leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers. The man and woman who raise the most funds for the local region will go on to compete in a national competition. A separate regional competition in the state will be simultaneously unfolding in the Madison area, with those top fundraisers advancing to the national competition, as well.

On May 20th, there will be a formal gala held at Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners to cap the fundraising campaign.

Here's where I respectfully request your assistance, if you or anyone you know are able to provide any help.

In addition to seeking small donations on the individual level, I am interested in talking to businesses and organizations looking for some great advertising/publicity opportunities from this.

Here are some ideas for your consideration: ads in the gala's program start at just $125. Businesses and organizations can purchase tables of 8 at the gala for $400, while individual tickets are $50. Different levels of sponsorship opportunities for the gala start around $250. The gala will feature both a silent and live auction, and I will be in need of donations for both. For smaller items that are donated, we can bundle them into packages. On March 11th, I will be sending out a minimum of 100 letters to prospective donors, both individuals and businesses. For anyone who can donate the printing for those letters, and for anyone who can donate the postage for this, I'd love to include a couple of lines in the letter thanking the donors and including their Web site address, if applicable. I can hold events, such as wine tastings, happy hours at bars, etc. These are just a few of the many ideas that I have at my disposal for this fun and rewarding experience.

As you may know, I am a journalist and an online marketer. For any business and organization that can help me out in any way, you can count on some very good and very public "Thank Yous" from me. In addition to my own press releases and other forms of acknowledgment, the LLS puts out its own media campaigns thanking larger donors.

E-mail me at: aaron@boldlyinnovative.com if you are interested in learning more.

Thanks!