Adler Planetarium Volunteer Orientation

Location: Adler Planetarium

Date: Sunday, April 27, 2014; 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Post my technical interview, I was informed that I had been appointed as an ‘After Hours Education Host’ and would be working the ‘Adler After Dark’ events.  Well, the title was way cooler than any other titles that I have had in my career.  Before I could do that, I had to attend a general volunteer orientation, followed by a more focused one for my duties.  But they offered me tickets to attend April’s event as a guest, though I couldn't go due to prior commitments.  I did however accept an invitation to go see a preview for a new show in the dome called ‘Destination Solar System’.  On this Sunday morning I arrived at the Planetarium and was taken to a conference room where a number of people had already gathered.  I had been assigned a specific seat with a folder which had a personalized agenda, which included amongst other things, a scavenger hunt!

My personalized agenda

Before we got underway, Natalie, who was conducting the session, took us for a photography session for our identity cards.  Back in the conference room, Natalie gave us the important contact numbers for staff members at Adler.  Everyone attending the session today was volunteering for a different role and everyone had a different supervisor.  As we introduced ourselves, I learned that there were a couple of volunteers for the ‘Space Visualization Laboratory (SVL)’, which has several interactive and immersive experiences for the visitors.  There were 2 gentlemen who were going to be a part of the ‘Far Horizons’ program, performing hands on experiments and research, like sending out high altitude balloons to collect data.  Two others were a part of the ‘Zooniverse’ program, which an online community performing large science projects.  The rest of us were floor volunteers, including a gentleman who designs sundials. 

Natalie then went over the various HR policies and also the dress code and the attendance requirements, which is stricter than some other places and they hold their volunteers accountable.  Like ‘Lincoln Park Zoo’, they also have reciprocity with other museums and volunteers also get access to the Planetarium for themselves and guests when not on duty, including the ‘Adler After Dark’ event.  I then got my volunteer code, required for signing in and out of the system, and the staff entry code to the doors.  Needless to say, we were asked to keep this confidential.

After a quick tour of the staff area, we were taken upstairs for a special treat -  a viewing of the show ‘Cosmic Wonders’, in the main dome.  We then had a 90 minute break for lunch and the scavenger hunt, which had been designed to make us explore the museum.  As I went about filling the form, I was particularly engrossed in the ‘Shoot For The Moon’ exhibit, the ‘Apollo’ missions being a particular fascination of mine ever since I had seen the fantastic ‘From The Earth To The Moon’ miniseries.  I also visited the ‘SVL’ to look at the cool gadgets, including an ‘iPad’ visualization program and seeing how a ‘Black Hole’ functions, in 3D!  

I returned at 1:30 with only half of my scavenger hunt completed, but so what.  It had served its purpose in getting me “hooked”.  I did a final checkout with Natalie to see if my code worked and then we were done.  There was one more workshop to attend before I could volunteer and I signed up for a session on May 10^th.  This would mean that I would be giving up a ticket for a beer festival and I mentioned that I was sacrificing it for science and discovery!  I told Natalie about this blog since they too have a social media policy and she said that it would be fine.  I always say that I look forward to new projects, but this one really has me excited.  After all my love for astronomy far precedes anything that I have ever done in the volunteering realm.  This was indeed going to be an adventure.

Lincoln Park Zoo Orientation: Connections

Location: Lincoln Park Zoo Administrative Building

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2014; 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Now that my interview had been successful, next step was to attend a couple of orientation sessions, starting with something called “Zoo Connections”.  They sent me lots of paperwork to fill out and some other manuals through which I learned that through with my volunteer card, I could get access to almost all of the museums throughout the city.  Now that is a sweet perk!  I arrived at the same building as my interview and saw that there were already a few people assembled in a room, along with a gentleman who looked like he would be conducting the session.  I took a seat up in the front and went through a folder that had been placed on the table before us.  It included map of the zoo, the mission statement and a page on behavior on social media and blogs.  So without further ado, “The views expressed on this weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.”

A day at the zoo

The first thing was to hand over all of the paperwork as well as money for the uniform, which was a green polo shirt.  Next, all of the volunteers were photographed for the id’s, with a background painting of what looked like a forest.  After that we were ready to begin and the gentleman who would be conducting our orientation introduced himself as Rick, the ‘Director of Training’.  He said that everyone at the zoo was on a first name basis, irrespective of their title.  He then pointed out the mission statement, which is “We are dedicated to connecting people with nature by providing a free, family-oriented wildlife experience in the heart of Chicago and by exhibiting leadership and advancing the highest quality animal care, education, science and conservation.”  He asked us to identify some key words in that statement that appealed to us and then introduce ourselves and say which words we had chosen and why.  When my turn came, I said that I was applying for a ‘Guest Relations Volunteer’ or ‘GRV’ position and I had selected “connecting people”, because that’s what our role is as we welcome  our guests. 

Once the introductions were done, Rick started the presentation by telling us about the zoo and its activities.  He said that while it was the longest open zoo, it was not the oldest.  What that meant was that the Philadelphia zoo had gotten the permission before this one; their opening was delayed due to the 'Civil War'.  In terms of the money required to run the zoo, it was all acquired through grants and donations, with no support from the city. While there were significant operating expenses, the zoo hit their budget every year, and have been operating free for over 100 years! 

Next we went for a walk to the ‘Farm In The Zoo’, which is outside the main zoo and where they keep livestock for kids to interact with; and also where they grow their produce.  We went to see chicken and ponies and even a pig that is pregnant.  He told us how they provide “enrichment” for animals - some activities to keep them engaged and entertained.  Essentially, these are some objects for them to play with.  We returned from our expedition and another staff member then talked about some of the other zoo programs and initiatives related to animal care.  She told us how the zoo breeds animals only after extensive genetic testing.  Also, to my surprise, I learned that some animals actually prefer being by themselves rather than with a companion.  I mean, who would want that right?  But it’s the reality and that’s why sometimes you see animals isolated in their own enclosure.  This is not the zoo being cheap or insensitive, but rather cognizant of the animal’s needs.   We also learned how the zoo is doing programs all over the world, including open wildlife parks in Africa.  This is not just a zoo, but a conservation institution as well. 

Rick then took us out for another expedition to the center where we I had come for my original orientation and handed us all ‘iPads’ for a study that we were about to conduct.  We went over to the ‘Primate House’, where we were going to do a 5 minute study of an animal using an app by taking readings every 15 seconds on activity the animal was up to; for example: “Active” or “Feeding” or “Inactive” or “Not Visible” or “Self-Groom” or “Social”.  We all spread out and I chose a Lemur who was with his mate and an infant.  For the next 5 minutes I took data every 15 minutes and recorded on the ‘iPad’.  The little fella was up to a few things and at the end I had a graph, as did others, and we discussed our findings.  This is something that the zoo uses to study animal behavior and is even available as an app for a mobile device.  I made a mental note to download and take with me to a coffee shop to observe the most unpredictable species – humans!

We had a lunch break in the cafe, after which we met up with Rick and he took us on a tour of the zoo.  We visited each building and learned "inside stories" from Rick, who is an outstanding narrator.  He told us about why some of the glass windows have smudges – to prevent migratory birds from flying into them – and why birds in open areas do not fly out – because the outside area is kept dark and they prefer to stay in the light.  On the way back to our classroom, Rick stopped to tell a family that could not have a dog on the zoo premises.  Pets are not allowed due to safety reasons and this will be one of the things that I will need to keep track of as a 'GRV'.  We had a final wrap-up with Rick and then after collecting my name-tag and ID – they did not have my shirt size today - it was time to leave.  I left knowing that of all of my volunteer assignments, this will be like a real job.  I look forward to that.  

“The views expressed on this weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.”

118th Boston Marathon – Pasta Party

Location: Boston City Hall

Date: Sunday, April 20, 2014; 1:00-7:30 pm

Indeed

I had walked past the City Hall plenty of times when visiting Boston, but had never attempted to go inside…there had never been a reason to.  So it took me some time to find the entrance, but after a walk around the building, I found the right door and went inside to see some people waiting by a check-in table.  I collected my blue volunteer jacket, a special marathon pin and a couple of lanyards that we had to wear around our necks – one of them had to have our id in it.  The organizers were not taking any chances for sure.  Although the marathon was tomorrow, this was a big event – the pre-race “pasta party”, where the contestants and their family would come and load up on the carbs.  Our job was to make sure everything was well organized and everyone had a great time.  Thousands were expected and hundreds of volunteers would be required.  Looking at the number of people in blue jackets, we definitely had those. 

I had made it there

I saw a long line and without knowing much, just stood behind some folks.  Then I realized that it was for lunch – pasta of course – and since I had already eaten, just went down the steps to the lower level and sat down at a table.  I was soon joined by 4 students from Harvard, one of whom had to go write a paper after the shift here.  I’m sure glad that those days are behind me!  We took some pictures, including next to a mile-marker. Our coordinator came in and he looked like a busy guy, walking around with a clipboard and a walkie-talkie.  He came over to assign duties and first and foremost took a roll-call.  There were some repeat volunteers who he recognized, though my name was missing.  I mentioned that to him and he said not to worry.  There were both, indoor and outdoor duties, and I mentioned to the folks I was sitting with that we should stick together.  They agreed and said that since it was still a bit chilly outside, we should choose indoors.  So when the coordinator said that he required 14 people for an indoor assignment, I raised my hand.  None of the others did and so and so I was the only person from our table being placed indoors.  If their intention was to get rid of me, they had succeeded.

My corridor

We followed our coordinator and the first stop was the mezzanine floor, where he dropped off 2 people to direct traffic.  Next was a level where there were going to be kids and strollers and he asked for volunteers.  No one raised their hand and one girl even said that she “doesn't do kids”.  Fortunately one lady volunteered and so we kept on moving.  We dropped off more people at the gates to shepherd people either to the “party area”, where we were; or up the stairs on the 3^rd floor.  These people had to be the most enthusiastic volunteers and even break out into a dance while welcoming people.  This definitely wasn’t me, but 2 couples volunteered and that was that.  I kept walking and was finally posted on the 3^rd floor, which was a ‘U-shaped’ balcony with tables lined up on the side.  You could watch the activities happening downstairs, including the entrance through which the people would come in.

As soon as people arrived on the 3^rd floor, there was a pasta station and students from ‘Wellesley College’ were on the serving team.  The most important thing that we would need to do this evening was direct people towards the nearest bathroom on this floor and so we were shown the location in question.  Besides that, my job was to stand at the front of the corridor by the tables, and guide people towards the back, letting them know that there was additional seating and also prevent a bottleneck.  A guy wearing black was walking around and he told some student volunteers that as soon as people got up from their meals, they were to wipe down the tables and rearrange chairs.  There was still some time to start and I chatted with a girl, who was also wearing black, and I asked if everyone in black was in charge.  She said that they were the caterers and responsible for feeding all of the visitors coming in today – all 13,000 of them.  Now that’s a lot of pasta.  My new friend’s name was Gina and we got along really well.  For the next few minutes we talked about the building we were in and the architecture, which apparently is quite famous – though very industrial looking.  Her boss – the guy in black who was directing students earlier – came and said that people were on their way and we should get ready.

People were now coming in

Everyone started coming up with trays of food and I started greeting them. While I tried my best to direct them to the back, they took whatever table was available.  However, everyone was extremely friendly and many had come with families.  Everyone was socializing and making new friends and the place was now almost full.  Since everyone was getting food from downstairs, the serving station on this floor was not being used.  I asked them what the point was of having it there and they said it was for seconds.  Well, that made sense I guess and many were in fact going back for seconds.  I walked around and saw that the center of each table had an assortment of goodies from the sponsors, such dried pasta, sauce and 3 types of salad dressings.  One guy asked if they could use the dressing and I said that as far as I was concerned, they could have everything on the table, including the uncooked pasta! 

For some reason, no one wanted this

The menu included white pasta, red pasta, meatballs & sausage and pasta and green salad.  No one was taking the pasta salad though and I joked with the server that perhaps a sign saying “Will help you drop a minute of your pace” would help.  While there was pasta for people to build their energy, there was also beer.  Nothing like getting lubed up before a big race I guess.  People had been requested to carry their trash with them and many were asking where to dispose.  It was downstairs, through the patio, where the desserts station was based.  So I was telling them that at least there was something to look forward to as they took their trash down, though a few left their stuff at the tables and we had to wipe it down.  Everything was going smoothly and as predicted, the number one question was regarding the bathroom.  The funny thing was that there since they were single use bathrooms, there were equal lines for men’s and women’s and one of the women said that they should take a picture since this was a rare sight!

That's where the bathroom was

A TV reporter had come with a cameraman to interview the runners and while she was doing that, one lady said that I should get them to interview the gentleman who was with her.  He was running for “Autism awareness” and according to her, he was a legend in San Francisco.  I went over and mentioned to the reporter and she said “let’s do it”.  They interviewed him for a long time and he even posed for a few camera shots.  The reporter thanked me before leaving, as did the lady and the guy.  I was having a good time interacting with the crowd and they were thanking me for my help, though really it was them who should be appreciated, for running this race.  One girl came in on crutches with one leg in a cast and I wished her luck for the race tomorrow, leading her to laugh for a long time.  I went back to check on the food station and the pasta salad was hardly making a dent.  I told the server girl that she may just have to finish whatever was left and it wouldn't necessarily be the worst job!  Everyone was working hard and my new friend Gina had even lost her voice while directing people.   

There were 3 projection spotlights with “Boston”, “Marathon” and “2014” on pillars at a lower level and they kept getting misaligned as people walked by them, leading me to keep correcting them constantly. We were trying our best to keep people moving, thus ensuring that there was a lane for walking.  One couple came over and started eating their food while standing near the ledge.  Seeing them, others followed and now it was getting crowded.  I told everyone that thy had to find a table and while others left, the couple just said ok and continued to stand there.  I guess there are different ways of defining “civilized people” and just because you wear clothes and don’t live in caves, does not mean you are civilized!  It was getting towards the end of the session and the entrance had now been closed.  We were now just waiting for the people inside to finish. 

Something that I would cherish forever

The volunteers were now eating the same pasta though I had a dinner engagement with friends and so couldn't join them.  I said goodbye to Gina and wished her well for the future.  She joined a long list of some of the most wonderful people that I have met over the last 18 months – full of enthusiasm and life.  It is truly a privilege to meet such people, even though briefly.  I took a walk inside the building before leaving and saw the Harvard guys.  They said that it had been cold outside and that I had made the right choice.  I left with my jacket and pin after what had been a proud day for me.  I really wish that I could have stayed for the race, especially this year.  But this will have to do.  It was one of the best things that I have been a part of, not just for the activity itself, but for the occasion and what it means for everyone.  Thousands…millions of people would have their closure tomorrow as the runners cross the finish line.  I had mine today.

118th Boston Marathon

“This is our fucking city, and nobody is going to dictate our freedom.”

-          David Ortiz, DH Boston Red Sox, April, 20, 2013

'Boston Strong'

At the 117^th running of the ‘Boston Marathon’, on Monday, April 15^th 2013, at 2:50 pm Eastern, two explosions happened near the finish line.  A senseless, act of terror, it killed 3 people and injured 264, marring an historic tradition that is the ‘Boston Marathon’.  As the city tried to comprehend what had happened, the brave law enforcement officers brought the heinous criminals to justice, but the damage had been done.  The spirit of city had been broken and a wound had appeared, seemingly never to be healed.  That all changed on the following Saturday afternoon, as before a home game, David Ortiz, the Designated Hitter for the ‘Boston Red Sox’ took to the mic.  The team had finished last the previous year and had no prospects for improvement.  The people had low expectations and with their hearts broken with the incident at the marathon, were clutching at straws for a miracle.  It was then that David Ortiz made his famous speech and with a single expletive – which even FCC endorsed – galvanized a city that no prayer vigil could have done.  With this statement he brought millions together and ‘Boston Strong’ was born as a slogan for the nation. 

I had come to New England as a graduate student and adopted this region as my home.  As I spent my time at ‘The University Of Connecticut’, I made lifelong friends and developed bonds that time would never erase.  I will never forget my time here, all those year’s of research, parties, special occasions, long drives during Fall, vacations etc.  One of the things we enjoyed the most was visiting Boston, and for all the years that I was there, we had rooted for the Boston sports teams as our own.  Even after graduation, when I had moved to Pittsburgh, this region had felt like home.  That’s why the events of April 15 had cut so close to the heart…had hurt so much.  It was an attack on my home.  I had been here on 9/11 and the tragedy of that day will never be matched….at least I hope so.  But this felt more personal, and I decided I had to do something…I decided that I had to be there the following year to honor the victims.  To show that we were 'Boston Strong'.

I applied for a volunteer role at the '118^th Boston Marathon'.  The process for application included some checks – and rightfully so – but after a few months, I was informed that I had been selected.  As much as I would have loved to have been there on “Marathon Monday”, it was less practical with my work schedule, and so I decided to volunteer for the “Pasta Party” the day before.  While it would not have been the same emotionally, it was still better than doing nothing.  So I was going to be a part of the team - one of my proudest feelings - and I flew into Connecticut earlier in the weekend and after spending some time with my friends, arrived in Boston on the morning of my volunteer assignment.  As I took a train to the ‘City Hall’, I saw a bunch of ‘Bruins’ fans on their way to a playoff game.  Being amongst them, I felt as if I belonged.  It was as if I was coming home.

The 'Red Sox' had done their duty

On Wednesday October 30^th 2013, in Game 6 of the ‘World Series’, the ‘Boston Red Sox’ went from last to first...the world champions. You cannot make this up. A year when it would mean the most for a grieving city, their most beloved team had won the supreme prize.  Yes, I will say it again, “You cannot make this up”!  On November 2^nd, there was a parade to celebrate this victory and as the ‘Duck Boats’ approached the finish line of the marathon, members of the team got down and placed the ‘World Series’ trophy there, draped in ‘617 Boston Strong’ jersey.  It was a poignant moment that cannot be matched.  “I think when we all stopped in that moment, and 'God Bless America' was sung, I think for a split second, and rightfully so, it took us back to the day in which we departed here on April 15," manager John Farrell said. "And again, in some ways, to bring a little bit of closure to it in terms of how the baseball season related to the tragedy, it was kind of a unique moment."

The heroes of the 2013 ‘Boston Red Sox’ team had done their job to help heal the wounds.  Now it was our turn to continue that process.  It was my turn.

 …For this is my fucking city as well.

Adler Planetarium Interview – Part 2

Location: Adler Planetarium

Date: Saturday, April 12, 2014; 1:00-2:30 pm

After my interview with Natalie, the next step was to interview with the volunteer supervisor for the ‘Public Education Programs’.  It was a group interview session and I couldn't make the first date that had been proposed, and so we had agreed on this one.  I had to go prepared with an experiment and was thinking about it for a long time.  Initially I contemplated the “Galileo was right” experiment from ‘From the Earth to the Moon’, and for which I would have used a golf and a ping-pong ball.  Well, that would have been great in theory, but there is a reason why that experiment was performed on the Moon, with no wind.  So I abandoned that idea and decided to go with the “Oil Spill” experiment I had done with kids at the ‘Mad Scientists’ project.  I went shopping earlier in the week and bought a bunch of things and after trying in a few stores, went to the dependable ‘Target’, where I got two types of place-mats, cotton balls, medical wraparound bandage etc.  As disparate as these sounds, this all would make sense…or so I hoped.

My destination

It was the first nice day of the year and so I decided to walk the 2+ miles to Adler from my place.  As I took the South entrance and waited for Michael, I saw that the place was busy, a lot of people taking advantage of the weather to come here.  Michael came to pick me up and I recognized him from the person I had spoken to at the 'Volunteer Expo'.  We were waiting for another volunteer, but that person was a no show; which was a shame since Michael said that the interview was always good with two people.  Well, we would have to do with one today!

We went down through the dark corridors of the museum and into the offices in the basement.  It was a huge area and as I walked through the cubicles, I could see a lot of fun stuff in all of them.  It looked like this is a good group of people.  I saw another group in one part of the museum and he said that there was another event on today, called ‘Hack Day’; which is a 30-hour session that pairs people and they are tasked with coming up with innovative projects.  We went inside a room, which he termed as “Astronomer’s room”, and sat across the table.  He put a box on the table and it had a bunch of random things in it.  We were ready to begin. 

Michael said that he would be taking notes and as a beginning, asked me to “sell him” on my favorite vacation from the last 4 years.  It was not what I had expected, but spoke about my trip to ‘Cape Cod’ last summer and mentioned that it was special because I was with friends and for once I spent the weekend relaxing and not doing the usual touristy things.  What followed next was him pulling out interesting looking objects and us role playing.  For example, I was to be a teacher and him a student, with me trying to teach him by only asking questions and without touching them.  I will refrain from describing the objects should someone reading this be interviewed in the future, but suffice to say that it was as challenging a thing that I have ever come across during an interview.  Michael’s goal was for me to learn more through observation. The point was for the object to do the “teaching” – a very important aspect of the education programs at Adler. 

Next was my demo and I laid out everything that I had bought on the table.  The way the experiment works is that you mix oil and water and then observe how effective different materials could be in soaking the oil.  The main thing to learn here was that oil, which is a hydrocarbon, is attracted more to a polymeric material and so there were certain items in my kit – such as the plastic place-mats or a nylon sock – which were more suited to the cleanup.  He asked a lot of questions and I felt that I could have done a better job than I eventually did.  After that there were more props which he pulled out and once again, I had to play the role of a teacher and only communicate in questions.  For one of the objects I discussed a childhood memory and he said that this is the kind of connection that we needed to make with our guests at Adler.

The original 'Apollo 13 flight plan

The interview was at an end and he asked about my availability and preference.  I said that besides ‘Adler After Dark’ – which is a 21+ event – I would love to do other programs with kids.  He asked if I could come on weekends and nights and I said yes, as long as I did not have other commitments.  He asked what about times such as 1 am for watching a “Total Lunar Eclipse”, and I said only if it were Friday or Saturday, unless Capt. Jim Lowell was visiting! It was interesting that I should have mentioned his name, since Jim Lowell is in fact a board member and there are several of his memorabilia on display.  We went upstairs and Michael showed me a few, such as Capt. Lowell’s rejection and subsequent acceptance letters into ‘NASA’, the original flight plan from ‘Apollo 13’, the only astronaut plaque not on the moon etc.  Then he showed me the ‘Gemini’ module and asked questions while showing interesting things such as the maneuvering nozzles, the heat shields and other features.

Michael then gave me a day pass for the museum and said that they would be in touch.  As I walked through the exhibits, I thought how cool it would be to work here.  It had been an intense interview session – more than some of my job interviews!  But it was also fun and I am looking forward to the challenges that something like this will present.  Let’s hope that I was good enough to impress him.

American Cancer Society Making Strides Steering Committee Meeting

Location: American Cancer Society Office

Date: Tuesday, April 08, 2014; 6:00-7:00 pm

A month had gone by real fast and it was time for another ‘Steering Committee’ meeting.  As I have mentioned, one of things that makes Carrie a right leader is that she hold's people accountable and always seems to have a plan.  For this particular meeting, she had assigned us homework and asked us to come prepared with 3 ideas in the areas that we would be working in.  Plus, she wanted us to think about how we would go about executing on those ideas.  Since I was a ‘General Volunteer’, I could think about all of the other groups and how I could support them.  So I decided to go with ‘Promotion’, ‘Fund-Raising’ and ‘Children’s Tent Activities’.

For ‘Promotions’, I thought about putting the survivor’s stories on flyers, thinking that this would give it a more personal touch as we ask people to get involved.  I have seen this be very effective with ‘Make-A-Wish’, as we put up stories of various “wishes” at our events.  For ‘Fund-Raising’ I thought about a “soiree” in a bar or a pub.  I know some places that have hosted such events for other organizations and we could start by approaching them.  Plus, we could raise additional money through raffle, silent auctions, games etc.  For the ‘Children’s Tent’, I thought about getting ‘One Brick’ involved with activities such as face painting etc.  There was no need to recruit specialists or experts.  I had seen enough volunteers in the past that would be able to do this with ease. 

Some had decorated their folders

I arrived for my meeting carrying the folder that had been distributed at the last meeting and saw that Carrie had several more handouts for us this time.  We started with introductions and ice-breaker and this time it was favorite “Easter candy”.  I said that anything having chocolate would be alright with me.  Several others were fans of chocolate as well, although one lady said that she wasn’t!  There was also a demand for “Chocolate-Peanut Butter Eggs”.  We then started with the “Mission moment”, where Katie, the co-chair talked about this being the volunteer week and how statistics have shown that 2 hours a week of volunteer work reduces depression.  No wonder Wilson’s always in a happy mood.  Next up was “Advocacy moment” and we learned how some State representative is trying to add $120 billion towards cancer awareness and healthcare, through increase of $0.75 in taxes on cigarettes. 

Carrie talked about sponsors and in-kind sponsorship.  'ACS' has a policy of exclusive sponsorship, meaning if one bank is sponsoring, no other bank can do it.  The same was true with TV channels or car companies.  For example, someone wanted to get her friend who works for TV to come and give a talk, but since we have an exclusive deal with ‘ABC’, we could not have a representative from another company coming in.  The only way she could come and speak was if she came as an individual and did not mention her affiliation.  Carrie talked about how our goal for this year was to reduce our budget by almost $7 a person.  This was going to be a challenge for Carrie since we also had other goals such as increasing our attendance for the kick-off breakfast. 

Next, it was time for the brainstorming session and Carrie took to the whiteboard.  First up was ‘Survivor Tent’ and the 3 ladies in that group presented their ideas, which included an increased focus on the tent.  They wanted to spotlight the survivors who would be there and also have a pink carpet at the entry.  Next was ‘Mission’ and Katie had an idea of doing a "Scavenger Hunt", where people would have to go get signatures or something at every tent.  I said that this would definitely make the sponsors happy!  ‘Advocacy’ person proposed a game - “Whose your representative?”  She also wanted to hand out ‘Dollar Store’ bags with #askme, so that people ask volunteers more questions.  ‘Entertainment’ tasked about organizing Zumba, yoga, a flash mob, decorating pink hair etc.  I brought up my ‘One Brick’ idea and everyone liked it.  Besides the face painter for kids or tattoos, I mentioned how “card making” is popular nowadays and we could have a similar “virtual” experience on a laptop.  All we would need to do was set up and then just press “send”, so that the card is dispatched in a fast, convenient and an inexpensive way.  Some of the other ideas that we discussed were having a “Promise Garden”, similar to the one I had done for the ‘Alzheimer’s Walk’ project last year.  I told them how we had different colored “flowers” for caregivers, survivors etc. and they liked it. 

Time was up and so I did not have a chance to bring up my ‘Promotions’ idea.  As people left, I stayed back to chat with Carrie and Jessie about putting the survivor stories on flyers.  Well, apparently corporate designs the layout and so we may not have any say in that matter.  Also, told them that we could potentially host the kick-off at a location such as ‘Chicago Cultural Center’, instead of a hotel.  Well the problem is that people expect a breakfast when they are invited for a “Kick-off breakfast” and so hotel was almost mandatory.  I told them to let me know about One Brick and then left with my pink water bottle as a present for joining ‘ACS CAN’.  It had been a very good meeting and I can’t wait to see how we go about preparing for the event.