* MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER - AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY *
EXPERIENCE
Working with the American Cancer Society and their event Making Strides Against Breast Cancer was an experience that every individual must have at least once in your life. It is shows you that you can be part of the bigger picture and no small effort is not enough. We decided to hold a bake sale fundraiser to raise money and awareness for the organization and the results really shocked me. It was amazing to see how many people were willing to contribute for a good cause and be part of our awareness success. I also got to see those individuals that did not want to help out because of not having "cash", but to their surprise we were prepared and were accepting donations by card as well. A good amount of donations were made by them and it really allowed us to reach anyone that wanted to help out. Attending the walk showed me how many individuals are fighting for the same cause and that just like them you were part of helping raise over $300,000 for the American Cancer Society. During the walk you got to see how many individuals are willing to wake up early and walk for a cause that they believe in, it showed me how involved I can be if I choose to be involved with non-profit organizations. We heavily relied on internet marketing more so social media and we were frequently throughout the assignment posting about the organization and our fundraiser to get as many people involved as we could. The place where we held our fundraiser also helped us in promoting the cause and furthermore reached more individuals that we initially anticipated. Our monetary goal was not reached but our goal to raise awareness about our non-profit I believe was reached. We reached a wide variety of individual and informed them about a great cause that they can be apart of. Though we set our goal to raise $1000 to help out the American Cancer Society, we were focused on really letting people know that they can get involved and help out. I hope that the individuals that took the time to hear about our goal and organization helped us furthermore more spread the word. In the end it was not about the money but showing people one of the many non-profit organizations that they can be involved with. My view of marketing for a non-profit has not really changed because in the end though you have a target audience, everyone wants to make a difference and help out in any way that they can.
REFLECTION STATEMENT
This service learning project has affected me in being openminded to whatever the end result might be, our fundraiser could not have been predicted to be a 100% successful. But it was and it was a great feeling knowing that you can make a difference if you set your mind to it. Overall, my communication have improved and will continue to improve not just in this project. It has allowed me to work in a group setting and really work as a group that is on the same page with the same end goal. It has shown me that I really can work efficiently with others not just now but in the future as well. The impact that this project had on the community was that it raised awareness to a good cause and really brought individuals together to fight for the same end goal. We not only got donations but we spread the word about a good cause and how other individuals can do the same.