Journal

Up to date:
 * March 11, 2011**
 * ======Contacted Ashlyn Delson, marketing director of Willow Grove Mall, by phone and email (twice)======
 * On request, provided more information about the Lupus Foundation as well as the Youth in the Loop for Life committee here at school
 * Mrs.Delson was willing to work with me after receiving more information
 * Annette Myarick, CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America, Tri-State Chapter (who works closely with the committee) is thrilled with the idea, and has extended her services to help me if need be. She has filled out the fountain coin donation form for Willow Grove. (which was turned into Kim Campion Roi, customer service supervisor at Willow Grove Park Mall)
 * Mrs.Delson offered to create a poster to put next to the fountain so customers know why it is purple and where the coins are being donated to. I will be providing her a picture of members of the committee to put on the poster as well.
 * *Unfortunately we can not set up an information table..*
 * Also sent a request to Sandy Gregorowicz, marketing director at Plymouth Meeting Mall.
 * She responded but I have yet to call her back... Plan to set up a meeting with her, and Mrs. Lewis.

Since last journal: As of now, I'm taking things slow, the "awareness campaign" is not until May. However I will be slowly working on advertisements and ideas for a Picture Contest-where students (within the school) can go to the mall, wearing purple and take a picture making a wish (throwing coins into the fountain) and the "coolest" picture will win a cash prize-awarded by myself. This is just an idea, I'm hesitant to move forward with this idea due to the lack of involvement (I think) I would get from the students :[. My "partner" in this fundraiser, Lauren McManus has connection to a manager at Chic-fil-a in Cheltenham. Which has no connection to the mall, however I would be willing to work with the one in Willow Grove if they can make a good offer. Last year Youth in the Loop for Life had a fundraiser in Willow Grove, however they "screwed us over" if you will-only purchases made from STHS students were taken into consideration for donations. Every student received a slip at the cash register, wrote their name, and amount they paid. However there were some problems when not every student received a slip...lowering the amount of donation we got. This year I will see if we can hand out those same slips before hand, in order to make the process quicker and more efficient.
 * March 24, 2011**
 * Contacted Sandy Gregorowicz, marketing director at Plymouth Meeting Mall via email in regards to setting up a meeting...have yet to hear back :(

Will be calling Sandy Gregorowicz, (MD @ Plymouth Meeting Mall) during my study hall D block today with Mrs.Lewis. Hope that I will be able to talk to her about how we can work together to spread lupus awareness. --Will post again about the results. I will also be looking into a fundraiser at Ruby Tuesdays, or T.G.I Friday's at Willow Grove Mall, as an incentive to come to the mall to check out the fountain! :)
 * April 1, 2011**

Since last post, I have called T.G.I Fridays (Friday, April 1) about a fundraiser somewhere close to May 10 (world lupus day). They seemed willing and said they would call me back to confirm if they had a date close to/or on the date given. They have yet to get back to me, I will call again today to see if I can get that date. Once that is set, I can start to create advertisements for the event. I'm thinking of a possible raffle also, but I have to wait for the reply from Fridays to see if this is possible. I will work with whatever I am given in order to promote awareness. MORE UPDATES TO COME!
 * April 6, 2011**

TGI Fridays is set, I just need Annette (CEO of the Lupus Foundation, Tri-State Chapter) to fill out some paperwork. The date of the fundraiser is May 10, all day. Over spring break I will be working on some flyers, advertisements EVERYTHING/ANYTHING you could think of. I'm beyond excited for this fundraiser. Willow Grove Mall, all of may their fountain will be purple and coins will be donated to the Lupus Foundation while spreading awareness at the same time. Friday's will be in conjunction with the fountain and I know it will be a success! :D
 * April 15, 2011**

Back from spring break and the paperwork for TGI Friday's has yet to be finished. After a few e-mails to Annette, I am going to take them to her office this Wednesday to be completed and turn them in to the manager at TGI Friday's. After that is done, I will begin working on advertisements and working the finishing details about the fundraiser and awareness campaign. The week before-it's all about advertise advertise advertiseeeee!!!! -PS. I will be getting some funds for the fountain at Plymouth Meeting also, however the coins will be divided between multiple organizations/causes, so I will not be advertising that one.. Willow Grove is my main focus.
 * April 26, 2011**

I'm glad that Ashlyn Delson, marketing director from Willow Grove emailed me this weekend to inform me that the fountain will be turned purple (chemically) this Wednesday because it had to be drained and cleaned first. Unfortunately my mentor has the paperwork for TGI Fridays, and I have yet to begin advertising because TGI Fridays is not a 100% yet because the paperwork is still not done :( I'm stressing out! I need to advertise, get this on facebook, flyers, hit up Willow Grove's parking lot a few days before with flyers as well. I need to get a morning announcement together too-and use my connections to get a possible commercial. --Plymouth Meeting mall: their fountain coins will be divided among multiple causes and such --I found out that same goes for Willow Grove mall as well.
 * May 2, 2011**

The past two days I have FINALLY completed the vendor form (via Annette Myrick). Today she faxed the paperwork over to T.G.I Fridays and I am now waiting for a confirmation email from Fridays letting me know that the paperwork was received and complete. I am in the works for advertising. Annette reminded me to include their logo (which I hadn't even thought of). Yesterday I emailed NBC News to see if they could cover it as a story or showcase it as a local event on their website or during air time. I have to complete my copies by Thursday and get them out there (work has been a conflict with my time to work on this :[ ). I'm excited but my motivation was slowly deteriorating when my mentor failed to get the paperwork completed by Annette, but everything is back on track (unfortunately later than what I had planned though....). --> ps. Mr.Puckett had also agreed to put the information I provided into an email blast :D
 * May 4, 2011**

After school yesterday I made more copies and typed up a letter for teachers about the event, I got the idea to put these in all teachers' mail boxes; I didn't quite get everyones because I ran out of copies-but close enough. I stayed up late last night after work trying to spread the work about the event to the community. I contacted NBC Philadelphia, ABC news, Good Day Philadelphia and Fox 29; whether it was an email or an event post on their community calenders, I took what I could and strived to get more. A few days ago I made an event page on Facebook, inviting all of my FB friends and encouraging others to do so as well. Today I made more copies of the flyer and posted them around the school,-though I am limited to the places I can put them I put a lot in one area to draw attention to it :D. After school today, since I don't have work I plan on getting A LOT of copies made, and tagging the cars in the parking lot of Willow Grove Mall (putting flyers on windshields-nothing badddddd :P). I'm trying to widen my target market, and get the awareness out there; so I am relying on the community. Wish me luck :D
 * May 5, 2011**

http://www.facebook.com/event. php?eid=151194711614926&ref=ts

Last Tuesday was my fundraiser at TGI Fridays in Willow Grove Mall. When I stopped by to talk to the manager Saturday night, she said it went really well, she received a lot of the fliers. However, she claimed that she failed to receive an updated vendor form with the banking information. Annette, from the Lupus Foundation has faxed it over to the Willow Grove store again, so I will check up with them most likely tomorrow (Tues) and see if everything is ok. From there I will find out how much we raised. We still have proceeds coming from the fountain in Willow Grove and Plymouth Meeting (a portion of the coins collected at both fountains will be donated to the Lupus Fountain, however I won't find that out for a few months when they empty them out. I'm happy it's all over, I was stressing OUT! All in all, I like this project, having been able to organize a fundraiser all alone was good. I am always hosting/planning fundraisers but this time I had an excuse to do it with no help from anyone else (which is always better), because I've found you can not depend on anyone else to get things done!!!!
 * May 16, 2011**

(Changing my powerpoint to-- The **prevalence** and **negative effects** a chronic illness has on teens)