SouthlandR

A community fundraiser where two towns (or two teams within a town) compete on stage to be the top dog. Contests are: tug ‘o war, mastermind quiz, impromptu comedy, auctioneering and lip synch. The ticketed event ($25-30) includes raffles, auctions, supper. Each town puts up a team of ten members. Behind each team there are two (sometimes three) community fundraiser groups who provide the team members, auction and raffle items and share the work of the event - selling tickets, preparing the hall, supper, bar, PowerPoint. The proceeds from the flyer are divided evenly among the fundraiser groups. Other groups can be involved on a lesser scale, e.g. selling the raffle, running the bar, supper and doing the clean-up. Service groups are most welcome to assist in any way. A successful flyer involves the entire community and benefits the entire community.

To build community through a fun public event that has multiple fundraising groups working together. To raise funds for community amenities such as swimming pools, club rooms, school playgrounds. To enjoy an hilarious night out watching local personalities reveal their talent competing in comic challenges.

The Flyer was conceived by Gerry Forde of Southland Spirit of a Nation and is based on experience as an MC/Speaker at fundraisers for over 25 years. The aim is to build community through a fundraiser that is highly entertaining and brings in good money. The first three Flyers held were the Battle of the Bridge at Wyndham 7 July 2012, Battle of the Dome at Mossburn 14 July and the Battle of the Mountains at Tuatapere 21 July. All three sold around 200 tickets each, raised a combined total of $71,000 at an average of $23,000 per event, with 14 community groups receiving just under $5,500 each - and each event was an hilarious night to be remembered. Building on lessons learned from the first Flyers, the Dipton v Limehills Battle Royale was held on 24 November; a sell-out event with huge entertainment value and a fundraising profit of $53,000

Key Tasks to Organising a Flyer

- Find two bordering towns/districts that have a friendly rivalry

- Find two (or three ) community groups/organisations from each town that has a will to fundraise

- The four groups meet with Gerry Forde and two co-ordinators are appointed, one from each
town to oversee the event

- Each community group:
   : provides two members for the steering committee
   : help find the 10 members of the competing team, including a manager member who co-ordinates
     the team training and a stage manager that gets them on and off stage on the night
   : find 6 auction items with an average value of $1,000
   : find 5 raffle items with an average value of $25
   : sell a quarter of the total tickets, 50 - 100 depending on the size of the venue

-Other Jobs to be shared between the groups:
   : supper
   : hall set up
   : PowerPoint of the sponsors and auction items
   : the bar
   : printing of tickets
   : provide a Health and Safety Plan for the event (supplied)
   : poster/flyer distribution
   : produce a programme of the event for tables that includes auction items and sponsors
   : provide courtesy coaches for the night
   : School students provide an auction item by running a fundraiser and then taking the cash to
     a friendly retailer who often supplies an item of twice the value

-Gerry Forde to do the following
   : background role supporting the two co-ordinators
   : find event sponsors who provide $500 in cash (for Spirit of a Nation) and a $500 auction
     item for the event
   : co-ordinate media and publicity - papers, radio.
   : event MC for the night
   : auctioneer
   : provide judges for the night
   : provide the quiz questions

Ticket Selling
The first team to sell out their allocation of tickets. Tickets go on sale at a specified time, the winner is the team with all tickets sold and money/cheques collected.

1.Team Introduction:
Each captain introduces their team to the audience and can use any means - comic introduction, skit, video - within the limit of ten minutes. This contest is optional as agreed by both parties.

2. Tug o’ War:
All team members compete (if room on stage allows), the tug of war continues for one minute or for less if one team pulls the other team over. The winner is clear from the alignment of a red mark at the centre of the rope with a marker at the centre of the stage.

3. Master Mind Quiz:
Two members from both teams compete as a pair in a quiz, with a third member who acts as a marker walking across the stage. The aim is to be the first team to cross the stage which is divided into seven markers. Teams can choose between an easy, medium or hard question. The easy question earns one step across stage, the medium two steps and the hard question three steps. For one question only contestants can go to the audience for help. If the first team gets their answer wrong, the second team has a chance to answer and if correct earns a bonus step and then has their own question. First to earn seven points (seven steps) gets to the finishing line and takes major points.

4. Impromptu Tag Team Comedy Speech:
Each team is given five minutes to prepare a topic to talk on, e.g. duckshooting, they must speak for two minutes, one speaker can tag another team member and they carry on talking, no limit on the number of team members involved, points awarded by judges for entertainment value.

5. Auctioneering Contest:
Each team has five minutes to raise money by auction. Teams must source their own items and they can add value by role playing and comedy and incentivise with extra offers e.g. will take shirt off for a higher bid, will be slave for the day. There is no limit on the number of team members used. The team that raises the most money in the five minutes takes the top points.

6. Lip Synch:
Using all members, each team chooses a song or medley and dances, lip synchs, and air guitars its way into the hearts of the judges and the audience. Judges award points for timing, costume/makeup and sheer entertainment.

Points
- Competition Points: 5 points for first, 3 points for second
- Competition Bonus point: after each of the five competitions, the MC will throw out a challenge to the
   audience, e.g. a quiz question. The member of the audience who first answers correctly, earns one point
   to the team of their choice.
- Auction Bonus Points: one bonus point is awarded to the bidder who FIRST breaks the following totals
   while bidding for an auction item: $500, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, etc.
- Audience Money Vote for the Lip Synch: this is the last chance for the audience to earn bonus points.
   Members of the team carry around buckets and the audience has two minutes to put cash in the team
   bucket that they support. The team that is given the most cash, earns 2 bonus points.
- Ticket Sales Bonus Point: the first team to sell all their allocated tickets earns 5 points, 3 points for second.

Team Marketing of the Event
- A flyer in the rural delivery
- Notices in the school newsletters
- Tell mates they have to buy a table!

Popular and High Selling Auction Items
- Farming Contract Packages, i.e. spraying, drilling, sowing etc
- Hunting and fishing trips
- Helicopter Rides
- Accommodation with added activities
- Wood/bark chip
- Tradesmen time
- High value painting
- Team of volunteer labour for a day
- Photography session
- Plants
- Processed meat
- Hosted dinner party
- Tools
- Autographed items
- Pamper Packs

Gerry Forde, brand manager Southland Spirit of a Nation:

spiritofanation@gmail.com
Ph: 021 516 393 or (03) 217 7617