SAF Wednesday E-Brief - 12/13/2006 (Plain Text Version)
In this issue:
•
Pennsylvania Governor Signs 'Phony Florist' Bill
•
Congress Approves Andean Trade Act
•
Wanted: Your New Year's Resolutions
•
AFE Launches New Web Site
•
Students Craft Business Plans for W.J. Cowee
•
IRS Increases Number of Small-Business Audits
•
Home Depot CEO Denies Buy-out Rumor
•
For Branding Tips, Look to Santa
•
Chaplains Join Corporate Workforce
•
Florist Dave Ferrari Leaves Star-Studded Legacy
•
California Florist Adelaide's Raises Funds While Celebrating 70 Years
•
SAF Responds to Real Simple Magazine
•
Member Uses SAF Research to Promote, Enlighten
•
San Diego Readies for Poinsettia Bowl
•
Oops.... we made a mistake.
•
Product Spotlight: Retail Pricing Worksheet
•
Talk on The Forums
•
Where to Find Holiday Help
•
Who's Selling Painted Poinsettias?
California Florist Adelaide's Raises Funds While Celebrating 70 Years
|
|
|
Gina and Harry Phillips |
Adelaide's Florists & Decorators of La Jolla, Calif., tweaked the store's annual anniversary open house last month. In a tribute to her father, Harry W. Phillips, Jr., AAF, forced to retire last year due to the onset of Alzheimer's, owner Gina Phillips donated 10 percent of the store's open house sales to the local Alzheimer's association. Adelaide's is named for Harry's mother, Adelaide Phillips, who started the business.
Nine neighboring business owners, who have piggybacked onto Phillips' open house over the years, caught the fund-raising spirit. "This year I approached each merchant," Phillips said, "and told them that we were going to add a twist." The only way they'd be able to participate was to agree to donate a portion of their day's revenue to a local charity. They all agreed.
Adelaide's donated more than $2,000 to the local Alzheimer's chapter, and an anonymous donor was inspired to give $50,000 in honor of Phillips' father to help with respite care for the people that can't afford it. In addition to the open house proceeds, Adelaide's customers donated in amounts from $100 to $1,000 (she set out a bubble bowl with envelopes and information about the disease). A story published the day of the open house, in the San Diego Union-Tribune, helped ensure a great turnout of more than 5,000 people, who visited Adelaide's and the other nine shops. Getting her story in the newspaper "was not easy," says Phillips, who said that because she doesn't advertise in it, "I didn't think they'd give us the time of day."
Phillips combed through the paper for weeks prior to the event, "to see where we might be a good fit, since we were adding a charity twist...and it was our 70th year in business, three generations and 57 years in La Jolla (it got started in nearby Encinitas)." She phoned a features editor and followed up with an e-mail and a press release.
"After about a week, the editor called me back and told me that they were going to have [reporter] Ozzie Roberts do an article in the paper and he would be calling me. I just about jumped out of my skin and thanked him profusely," Phillips says. The reporter told her he did not like writing stories that promoted businesses, but he came out to interview her and ended up staying for four hours, Phillips says. She also contacted the paper's society columnist. When she didn't get a response, she thought nothing would be published, but an item about Adelaide's open house came out the day before the event.
"It was a lot of work, but worth every bit of time," Phillips says. "People still stop me in the street and in other stores to ask me about my dad and how he is doing. This was truly one of the best open houses we have ever had."
Have you added a charity twist to any recent events? Send your news to mbarton@safnow.org.
--Mary Ann Barton
mbarton@safnow.org