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May 29, 2009

a real update

Since I moved back in with my parents in April I haven't really posted anything informative so here is a real update:

The summer got off to a slow and boring start.  I was really excited about spending a few months back home for the first time in about 2 years but it wasn't really living up to my expectations.  The last time I was home for an extended period of time, none of my friends had serious jobs or were in school.  We had all the time in the world to do whatever we wanted.  I'm not sure why I still expected it to be like that since we are two years older and have a lot more responsibilities.  But I've adjusted to the change and my summer is going great so far.

When we can, we've been spending a lot of time outside.  Annie and I spent an entire day at Bishop Park just reading, hanging out and flying kites.  Then for Memorial Day, I got together with a bunch of friends at Elizabeth Park and had a picnic.  We spent 6 hours hanging out and relaxing (pictured below).

Tomorrow it looks like Annie, Luke, Jordan and myself are going to be attending the spring "speakeasy" in downtown Wyandotte.  We're dressing like classy flappers and it should be a really good time.


Since I am within my last 30 credits of graduating I cannot take classes anywhere other than Grand Valley.  This means that I'm not taking classes at all this summer.  I have been going to school year-round of the last 3 years so this is weird for me to not be taking classes this summer.  I'm also not working because I'm still collecting unemployment from when I was laid off.  Even if I did find a job, I'd have to quit soon when I move back to Grand Rapids in August.  So I'm just taking a summer off to relax.

But my sitting home, relaxing and doing nothing is about to come to an end next week.  After completing my public relations internship at the Make A Wish Foundation office in Grand Rapids, I applied for an internship in Detroit.  Not only did I get an internship in Detroit but I got another at the Ann Arbor office.  In Detroit I will be working as their graphic design and web assistant.  I'll be working on various communication projects, which include: web edits and updates, working with Google Adwords, keeping track of MAW Flickr, YouTube, and Twitter accounts, and the creation of general communication materials (postcards, web banners, images, logos, event related materials, etc.)  In Ann Arbor I will be a communication assistant and will be dealing to newsletter stories, web articles, letters, press releases, etc.  My primary focus will be on Make A Wish Foundation's annual Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour (WAM).  With WAM I'll have to pitch stories to the media regarding the event as well as promoting the event along its route and dealing with media opportunities.  I'm really excited about this internship because I loved seeing the Make A Wish Foundation's spring gala come to life right before my eyes.  Now I'll get to do the same thing with the bicycle tour.  Both internships are unpaid and I'm not using them for college credit, which I don't really mind because it is such a wonderful cause and it's great hands-on job experience.

As much as I love spending time at home... I'm not too excited to be living back with my parents.  After a few years of doing what you want and coming and going when you want, it's a really big adjustment.  But I know when August 7th comes I will be sad to be moving into my new townhouse.

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Filed under  //   1920's   Ann Arbor Michigan   Annie Pilon   Bishop Park   Bring Joy One Penny at a Time Gala   classes   communication assistant   Detroit Michigan   Elizabeth Park   flappers   friends   Grand Rapids Michigan   Grand Valley State University   graphic design and web assistant   hanging out   internship   jobs   Jordan Dyjach   kite flying   Make A Wish Foundation   Make A Wish Foundation of Michigan   Memorial Day   moving   parents   picnic   prohibition   public relations intern   reading material   relaxing   speakeasy   summer 2009   unpaid internship   WAM   Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour   Wyandotte Michigan  

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March 23, 2009

Bring Joy, One Penny at a Time Gala (update)

Like I said previously, I am interning this semester at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan and as part of my internship I had been helping to plan this gala.

Well the big gala was last Thursday at the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids and it truly was a "motivating and inspiring" evening.  Attendees paid $150 a seat and were also encouraged to donate more once they were there.  And why wouldn't they donate more?  The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a wonderful organization that does so much good for so many sick children in Michigan.

I had been working with MAW in putting together this event for a few months.  I mostly dealt with calling attendees and donors so I really had no idea about anything else, like the decor.  The gala was under-the-sea themed and it was called Enchantment.  There were tons of sand, (fake) coral reefs and fish, balloons as bubbles, a mannequin dressed as a suba diver hanging from the ceiling, girls dressed as mermaids, a giant clam, real boats "shipwrecked" in the venue, a wooden pirate ship as the stage, and a treasure chest. 

The quality of the photos isn't the best.  You would never guess that I have a pretty good camera, right?  It was super dark in the venue and the flash made everything real washed out looking so I used some fancy "theatre" mode my camera had.

I was honestly blown away by how all of this came together.  I was speechless when I walked in and saw the end result.

We also granted a little girl's wish for a puppy that night.  She wanted an English Bulldog.  So we got her an English Bulldog puppy!  She was so happy.  It was really cute!

The last two are the only pictures I had of me from the night.  One of me in the bathroom (with my matching cell phone) and one of my boss, Cara and I.

I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to be able to do something like this and to be able to work with these people.  I really feel that I've learned so much more from this internship than just work experience.  I had previously wanted to go into music or sports public relations but now I'm almost certain that I will end up in non-profit public relations or philanthropy.

                           
Click here to download:
Bring_Joy_One_Penny_at_a_Time_.zip (7518 KB)

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Filed under  //   Advertising and Public Relations   black tie affairs   boats   Bring Joy One Penny at a Time Gala   coral reefs   DeVos Place   formal events   fundraising   gala   giant clam   Grand Rapids Michigan   intern   internship   Make A Wish Foundation   Make A Wish Foundation of Michigan   mermaids   party planning   pirate ships   public relations intern   puppies   scuba drivers   sea shells   ship wrecks   update  

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March 18, 2009

Bring Joy, One Penny at a Time Gala

This semester I am interning at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan and as part of my internship I have been helping to plan a gala.  

 

According to the Make-A-Wish website, the gala will be "an evening that is sure to be motivating and inspiring!  The Bring Joy, One Penny at a Time Gala promises to be an evening of magic and joy that celebrates our amazing wish children... Your presence will help bring joy to hundreds of wish kids across Michigan."

The gala is tomorrow night at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I have been working with MAW with this event for a few months now and I honestly had no idea to what scale this gala was going to be.  I walked into the DeVos Place and I was speechless... completely awestruck.  There are REAL boats to be suspended from the ceiling along with mannequins dressed as scuba divers.  There is a giant "sunken" pirate ship as the stage.  There is a giant clam that two girls dressed as mermaids will sit in.  There are fountains.  There are "shipwrecks" throughout the venue.  There are huge (fake) coral reef decorations.  I still can't get over it.  The decorating of the venue just started this morning so I didn't get to see it all put together but I can only imagine who gorgeous it will look tomorrow.

Here are some pictures.  Obviously nothing is in its right place or put together.

The white boat is the one that will be suspended from the ceiling and the wooden one next to it is the sunken pirate ship that will also double as the stage.

The green thing is the giant clam, home to the mermaids, but it is still packaged up.  The orange stuff is pieces of the coral reef display that will surround the entire venue.  There also will be an arch of coral that you enter in under.  It's obviously not put together yet in this picture.

... more of the coral reef

These are what I spent all day monday making.  These are the table center pieces.  They are made out of the same "fake" coral reef and decorated with shells.  In the center there will be a tall glass cylinder filled with water, a bubbler, colored lights, and possibly fish.

This isn't even a third of the entire venue.  That is the scaffolding that will hold up the lights and the blue, ocean like tapestry that will cover 100% of the walls.

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Filed under  //   black tie affairs   boats   Bring Joy One Penny at a Time Gala   coral reefs   DeVos Place   formal events   fundraising   gala   giant clam   Grand Rapids Michigan   internship   Make A Wish Foundation   Make A Wish Foundation of Michigan   mermaids   party planning   pirate ships   public relations   public relations intern   scuba drivers   sea shells   ship wrecks  

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