While the coronavirus pandemic forced Young Friends of Starlight to cancel this year’s After Hours at the Towers event, that didn’t deter planning committee leadership from continuing to spearhead a number of initiatives in lieu of the in-person fundraiser.
Young Friends of Starlight’s biggest event of the year, After Hours at the Towers, raises money for Starlight’s Bob Rohlf Internship Program. The event is traditionally themed after one of the Broadway shows in the summer line up and features live music, local food and libations, and numerous interactive games that raise additional funds for the program. This year’s event was set to be themed after Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville.
Without an in-person event, the planning committee pivoted to a number of online fundraising efforts, including a “Mystery Raffle,” where patrons had the opportunity to purchase a $50 mystery “grab bag” worth at least the price of the raffle ticket, and a “Disney Raffle,” where patrons could purchase raffle tickets for the chance to win tickets to Disney World.
Nearly all sponsors who had previously committed to the event chose to donate the sponsorship money—garnering nearly $20,000 in funds to go directly to the internship program! The fundraising committee also made a public ask on Facebook, which raised more than $3,000 from 68 donors, and asked patrons who had already purchased tickets to consider turning those tickets into a donation.
Overall, Young Friends of Starlight raised $27,355 of revenue through this year’s After Hours at the Towers initiatives, even without an in-person fundraising event. From everyone at YFS and Starlight—thank you for your continued support!
