Blue Umbrella Marketing & Events

10/28/2024

Good Morning, Friends! Happy Monday! I have a BIG ask and I guess a back story. I will share my personal story as to why this Community Toy Drive Berkeley & Jefferson County, WV is SO important to me. Without elongated details, I have experienced many sides of the financial coin in my life, including complete financial devastation after the housing crisis.

The kids and I were living in a small 2bdrm home with a very gracious landlord, or I don't know that we would have had a roof over our head. I worked every side hustle and applied for every job I could, and luckily I found one in Leesburg, soon after the holidays. But, leading up to Christmas that year was horrendous.

Someone at the school sent our information to Toys for Tots (it was in the area at that time) and we were able to receive gifts from that charity. Two very dear community members, who I still adore to this day, supported my children with kindness and gifts that year.

It was a humble Christmas, and it was a learning lesson for me on so many levels. For my entire life, I was able to give, and had not needed to be one to accept charity. But, had that charity not been shown to us, there would not have been a Christmas for my children as food, firewood and rent were the only priorities I could afford.

So, that said, we don't ever know why any family is in a position of need. We can't assume and we shouldn't judge. But, the magic of Christmas, and the meaning of Christ, casts a light over those few days that allows a family to escape the pressure of that moment in life, and take a breath with peaceful pause shared with their loved ones. It lets you relieve some of the shame of not being able to provide as you wish you could. Being treated with dignity and charitable kindness makes such a difference.

So, when Shalonda Winston contacted me to tell me she was taking up the charge of creating a new Community Toy Drive Berkeley & Jefferson County, WV initiative, through her church Kingdom Life Cathedral Ministries, Inc., it was an easy YES for me to get involved. Additionally, Libby Powell and Leah Brooks, jumped right in with me!

The biggest hurdle, is not the toy donations/gathering or business drop off locations. So many have stepped right up to play a role and we thank you!! The problem has always been finding a vacant, climate controlled space where donations can be stored, sorted and picked for families by volunteers.

Think of the back-office of this initiative as warehouse/Amazon-style operation. Donations can't remain in businesses for the entire time of the collection period. They need to be frequently gathered and brought to the warehouse where they can be sorted, staged by type/age/etc, and then picked into a bundle per family for the Pick-Up Day.

Space is a premium, not many have consistent vacancy for this effort from Nov-Dec, and it needs to be in a safe location for both donation drop offs and volunteers. So, with the help of the aforementioned business ladies, we found and negotiated a reduced lease with a great location for visibility AND some other fun holiday activities, like a Gift Wrapping Station to benefit the Toy Drive!

That said, we need sponsors and underwriters for this space in the next 3 Days to complete the Lease. The total is $2400 for the two months. I am not here to argue that price, nor explain that we have exhausted all efforts and outreach to over 30+ locations to try and find a space. It was this or NO Toy Drive.

That is 24 donors at $100, or a handful of business donors who will have their logos and businesses thanked and represented in our window display throughout both months. That is 240 donors at $10 each or the average price for a to-go meal. So, if you are willing to help us in the next 3 DAYS, we will deliver the Lease and payment to open on November 1st and begin our Toy Drive with all the wonderful business collection sites that have stepped up in both counties.

We will turn donations off when the goal is reached, and update this post.

Interested in being a sponsor? Your logo and business name will be displayed on the window signage, as well as broadcasted on numerous social media channels.

Please complete this form to sponsor - https://forms.gle/6sSHABEm1faMLp856

Ways to Donate Through Kingdom Life Cathedral Ministries:
(IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE IN ANY DONATION "TOY DRIVE")

Online - https://bit.ly/toydrivespace

Text - Text to give be sending text to (304) 398-6627 and enter the desired amount along with . You will be sent a reply with payment details.

CashApp - SKLCMWV and include Toy Drive in the Note section

Lastly, a BIG thank you hug and shout out to my neighbors in business who have been my fellow champions in this behind the scenes efforts, Libby at Sibling Coffee Roasters and Leah at Pour Choices Wine. And, Shalonda Winston, thank you for trusting me to support your vision, as well as being an amazing client to Corner Connection!

We have 3 DAYS! Let's do this!!

08/13/2024

As many of you know I’m new to our Rotary club, and have a goal of being very active in our community service projects and outreach. This year, we are looking to “adopt” 26 foster kids spread across 11 families in Jefferson County, WV. As you can imagine, these kiddos are the most vulnerable in society and could always use a boost.

They are well covered for school supplies, but are in need of clothes, and some just simply need new shoes. We have a earmarked internal club money, and many Rotarians, as well as myself, are making personal donations but it’s a lot of kids.

I realize we are in a tough financial climate, but if you would like to make a personal donation (no amount is too small) toward our effort, please send me a PM for our details to donate our Rotary account (CashApp, Venmo, Zelle, PayPal).

All donations would need to be received by 5pm this Wednesday as school is starting the following week. I will also update this post with an Amazon Wish List I am making for the families Chloe Waldeck and I have adopted, which you can also purchase from by this Wednesday.

TIA and help if you can! ❤️

08/01/2023

We had a blast at this past weekend's Wedding Expo at Pendleton Hall. A big round of applause for a terrific and professional group of vendors and sponsors, plus a big thank you to our attendees! We heard about several perfect matches made throughout the day, and not just the brides and grooms. We even received this feedback yesterday from a vendor who had a very successful day at our Wedding Expo! I guess we need to start planning for the next one!!

04/08/2023

We are honored to support this event by offering a few tickets to some of our client’s events! This is a great raffle package and supports an amazing cause near and dear to our hearts. Hop into their event today or you can also visit with adoptable pups at our Flower & Garden Expo next Saturday!

We are so excited about our Dog Eggstravaganza event happening today at Morgans Grove park in Shepherdstown. We have amazing guest speakers, great golden egg prizes (every dog receives a ticket and the prizes are impressive) and more.

A huge thank you to Blue Umbrella Marketing & Events for sponsoring this Spring Fling raffle - its valued at over $400 and we will be drawing live today at 3pm. Really unique experience prizes as well as $100 Walmart card and more. $5 each or 3 for $10

You can purchase tickets at the event, via QR code on the flyer or at https://secure.givelively.org/event/rescue-me-wv-eastern-panhandle-shelter-dogs/rmwv-spring-fling-raffle

And remember - Adopt don't Shop!

04/04/2023

We are in the midst of our planning for an outstanding 2023 Baseball Season for the Purcellville Cannons, a proud member of the Valley Baseball League! Our home games easily see over 500+ attendees, and we are expecting record attendance this year as Loudoun County's premier baseball team! All these eyes could be on YOU!

We are now booking slots for our performances of the National Anthem for all Home Games and we need YOU! If you are a talented performer, know a talented performer, or manage a talented performer then please visit this link and submit an application. We are booking immediately! bit.ly/cannons-anthem

03/20/2023

Mondays begin with MUSIC! It is always a great way to start your day and we are tuning into some of the local greats that make this benefit concert a MUST! NoVA MusicFest, benefitting Cancer Can Rock is celebrating its third year with an outstanding lineup with appearances by Jason Masi, The 19th Street Band, Gary Smallwood, and many more!

There will be music, food, 868 Estate wine, Lost Rhino beer, craft vendors and more, all while helping raise money for Cancer Can Rock’s mission.

Get your tickets! bit.ly/NoVAMusicFest

03/16/2023

We know we have been quiet and vaguebooking as we build out both our new event venue, Pendleton Hall at Corner Connection, and onboard several new clients! Today's very good day ended with onboarding to our very own ticketing platform! Think Eventbrite but better, bespoke and best for scalability and customization! Better yet, this is a white-labeled solution, so all events are marketed under Blue Umbrella Marketing & Events or my clients!

Why am I sharing this awesome advantage? Well, I love to share when stuff works, so I am happy to share for any of my fellow crazies in the event space! So, what is the secret sauce? If you haven't tried TicketSauce, get on it!! I did my NCIS level digging and checked out ratings, Crunchbase and funding, numerous reviews including Capterra and BBB, etc. Also, eliminated banking and transaction risks with the current climate.

I can honestly make a high-level and experienced recommendation to this company based on years in the marketing and events space. Benefits include built in ticket insurance for the attendee (if selected), custom venue seat selection, unlimited add-ons, diverse payment integrations, robust backend data, easy UX on both attendee and client user, etc... I really want to be critical, but this is a hidden gem so go give it a look!!

I believe we all benefit from better solutions, providing a better customer experience to both our partners and attendees, and streamlining our own work for more efficiency and a branded experience that represents our expertise in the marketplace.

So, that's all I have to say about that and have a wonderful rest of your week!

I lied, you can also manage conference, sponsor and vendor booth sales... now I am done.

*non-paid endorsement, this is just good stuff!

03/08/2023

As we are in the throws of , where many companies lamely throw out an anecdotal kudos, Ford Motor Company’s new ad is a breath of fresh air. Additionally, it showcases how you can have fun with your brand without being offensive or ignorant. Check it out!

We’ve completely redesigned the automobile by removing more than 100 years of women’s contributions.Women have been a part of the production, engineering, an...