21/03/11

Now if there’s one way to practically guarantee you fundraising success, it’s by getting a celebrity involved.

Whether your read about them in the glossy mags, on facebook or in the tabloids, getting them down to your fundraising event will get the town talking, a crowd queuing and the venue heaving.

Oxford’s “Climb Kili for Kids” did just that, with three squad members from the current England side.

On March 1^st, the team of Oxford fundraisers, who are set to climb Kilimanjaro on August 26, hosted an unforgettable ‘Charity Auction, Promises and Cocktail Night’. With over 1,000 invitees on the Facebook event, the group held high hopes that there would be a major turnout.

As the crowd piled into Maxwell’s, they were greeted by Toby Flood, Ben Youngs, and Dan Cole. The room buzzed as the word spread like wildfire that the players were auctioning a date & drink with the entire England Squad for the following night.

Tantalized by the promise that the top bidders would receive generous vouchers to share with the person they bought, by 10:15 the bids were flying high!

Having planned and bargained in the months prior, the volunteers had secured a free venue, arranged for a DJ and host, recruited auctionable students, advertised far and wide across Oxford and approached hundreds of restaurants and clubs in the hope of securing freebies and vouchers.

With our VIPs selling for a staggering £230, students going for as much as £90, and a full-house, the total profits were £1,036 and a great night was had by all!