Southwest Fire Department
Fundraising Event Planner
Apart from my role as a Firefighter/EMT at Southwest Fire Department (SWFD), I planned and coordinated the annual Chili Dinner fundraiser. I started as an Assistant Planner in 2021, my freshman year at Auburn, then became the lead Fundraising Event Planner for 2022 and 2023. During my time at SWFD in this position, I led Chili Dinner board meetings, inventoried and obtained supplies and ingredients, managed all vendors, directed volunteers, created all promotional materials, strategically designed event layouts... I could go on and on!
For the 2023 event, I had the brilliant idea of sending formal invitations to "VIP" guests, such as Bruce Pearl, who most likely wouldn't be able to attend Chili Dinner but might send a donation for our raffle in place of their absence, which is how I acquired a signed Auburn basketball and boosted the Department's ticket sales. Fun Fact: I brought my older brother Cayman along with me to pick up the donation, and we got to meet Coach Bruce Pearl! This happenstance was not planned nor expected, but it was such a cool experience being able to chat with him for a few minutes!
During my final year as the Event Coordinator, I took the initiative to create a planning guide that could be used by once my time in the department came to an end. This planning document -which included anything and everything you could ever need to plan Chili Dinner- not only benefited the department but also helped me grow as event planner, as completing this document was a major stepping stone in my event planning career. To view the comprehensive planning spreadsheet I created, visit the "My Writings" tab or click here:
