In a political election race, a move like this could bring public outcry and admonishment. But in the world of non-profit fundraising, anything goes.
On April 24th, representatives from 20 different Santa Clarita non-profits will hit the stage for Dancing With Our Stars. The competition pairs a charity representative with a professional dancer to compete in the show. The winning team will be determined not only by judges’ votes, but by the total number of votes from the public both before and during the event. The twist? Each vote costs $25.00 and serves as a donation to the charity of the dancer. Last year over $70,000 was raised for local non-profits through the program.
In an effort to boost their votes, Single Mothers Outreach has put together a contest of their own. They’re asking people to put together a “five-minute fundraising page” to help garner votes for the Single Mothers Outreach (SMO) dancers, Six Flags Magic Mountain President Jay Thomas and professional dancer Ingrid Blanco.
Partnering with FirstGiving, each person can design a personal web page. Then, they can email friends, family or post the page on Facebook. Secure donations can be made directly on the page. The donations are tax deductible. To see a sample fundraising page, click here. For more information about setting up a fundraising page, click here.
Whoever gets the most donations for SMO’s dancers will win a prize package from Six Flags.
1st Place:
- VIP Package for 6 Guests to Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor ($299/person value)
- Private guided tour for your family or group
- Front-of-the line privileges
- Preferred Parking
- Theme park admission
- Reserved show seating
- Private autograph session with LOONEY TUNES and The Justice League
- Lunch and Dinner with reserved seating at restaurants
- Unlimited snacks
- Souvenir ride or character photo
- Admission to Hurricane Harbor with a Cabana
2nd Place:
- 4 Combo Season Passes (SFMM & HH)
- 4 VIP Gold Front of Line Access Wristbands (one visit only)
- 1 Season Parking Pass
3rd Place:
- 4 One Day Passes to SFMM
- 4 VIP Gold Front of Line Access Wristbands (one visit only)
Winners will be notified by SMO on Monday April 26.
SMO aims to “empower single parents and their children by providing hope, support and resources so that families can become self-sustaining.”
Dancing With Our Stars is a recurring event in Santa Clarita. To see what other non-profits are participating in the event, click here. Proxy vote forms are also available on the Dancing With Our Stars site.
Pictured above: SMO dancers Jay Thomas and Ingrid Blanco