Saturday, February 11, 2012 was the 4th Annual WWAMI Ball.
This year, however, I was the lucky one chosen to plan it...... I planned the event in about 6 weeks, with a $0 start budget, and fundraising as the only option for $$$. I never knew how blessed I was as Special Events coordinator at Whitworth with a $27k annual budget! Anywho, to start fundraising, we bought class t-shirts - designed my wonderful and amazing best friend Maddison, while she was across the pond, no less!!!.
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| Maddison |
I love that girl - she saves my behind time and time again. I only wish she were closer so we could have more adventures together again, like the good ole days. Here is the t-shirt design - it pretty much rocks.
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| T-shirt front |
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Tshirt Back
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So after t-shirt sales, all that was left was ticket sales. The years past have averaged around 50-60 people in attendance with a budget of about $1100-1400. Well as ticket sales started I hit 30 people and was worried it was going to be a tiny event that no one wanted to come to.... and then a small glimmer of hope happened. One of my classmates serves on Student Government and lobbyed for the event to get a bonus $1000... and it passed! I was beyond thrilled! The extra money allowed me to plan for a photobooth, a chocolate fountain, a dj, and a photographer..... on top of the scheduled catered food and bar with a free beer and a free wine per person! My haggling skills were at their finest for this event. This led to mass excitement and increased ticket sales. The final head count being 89 people!!!!!! OMG!
The event was to be held at the Spokane Masonic Center.
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| exterior up close |
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| the room as advertised |
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| Full exterior |
And I had to choose one of their preferred vendors for catering and I had only one option for the alcohol.
As the event approached, I got my dress and was in love with it..... finding shoes was a fiasco and so was jewelry, but in the end it all came together nicely....
So my date picked me up for dinner at 6 and then I asked to be dropped off at the venue early to check on everything while he went to go pre-funk with my classmates... and good thing I went early to check.... the room was looking awesome as my friends Jackie, Hannah, and Jack helped me prep it the day before. The dj was finishing setting up and the bartender was waiting for someone to serve a drink to. The photobooth was set up, primed to open at 9pm... and the caterer was NO WHERE to be found.... So I call her. 4 times, no answer. Her voicemail has another number listed so I try that one and leave a message there as well. I call again, and she finally answers. at 730pm (doors scheduled to open at 745) - and I ask to make sure she is on her way... and she is like "to where?" - she completely forgot about the event. AWESOME - I melt down, freak out the bartender, dj, and house staff and people scramble to run to a grocery store to buy food and beverages - for 89 people. The event starts and is a jumble of mass confusion and really starts an hour late when food arrives.... 30 min later the caterer shows up with the chocolate fountain at least.... all in all I couldn't have set up the night without the WWAMI Spokane program secretary and her aids because they are the ones who ran to the store to save the day!
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| Fairy Godmothers who scrambled for food |
The mingling went well thanks to the bar, and then I had everyone take their seats for the Gag Awards Ceremony. Categories included most likely to win the hunger games, survive a zombie apocalypse, look like a medical student well into their 50s, bury a body no questions asked, be called as an expert witness, someone to need an expert witness, to be the next Dr. House, live the life of greys anatomy, have a child before residency, be a small town here,...etc etc.... I won most likely to get lost in seattle and most likely to marry the surgeon general.
After awards - we rearranged the room, dropped the lights, and then dropped it like it was hot - the groove thang was flowin! The dj (DJ pLAN b of Moonbeam Music) even got the faculty and staff to dance!!
The night ended and all was well - the photobooth was a hit (check out Flat 4 Photography @ http://www.flat4photography.com/) or the booth specifically @ (http://www.flat4photography.com/index2.php?v=v2#/home/ ) and I think most people had fun.... even with my meltdown and caterer mishap
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| some of the ladies with program director Dr. Roberts |
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| my date |
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| at least we were having fun! |
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| The future Dr. House/lead a underground resistance, & most likely to survive the hunger games and help you bury a body no questions asked...... and me |
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| The sexy pirate who got WWAMI Ball the extra $1k |
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| Anatomy prof and I |
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| RIDE dental students |
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| WWAMI-ers |
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| the room before the dancing |
all's well that ends well.... Keep Calm and Carry On!
