Working with the staff of Blood:Water and their generous volunteers we tackled the multitude of various tasks necessary to pull off the event. I decided on the overall look for the night - natural, earthy colors in brown, copper and ivory. To serve as the centerpieces and to highlight the work the organization does I hung images of their accomplishments on small tree branches anchored in copper pots. These pots allowed each table to have a good look at how and where money is spent and donations are put into action on the ground in Africa. I oversaw development and design of the invitation, program and donation response cards (see below for example). I also had the opportunity to work for the first time with an amazing catering company - Chef's Market (http://www.chefsmarket.com/). The folks were absolutely wonderful to work with and provided us with delicious food as well as a fantastic layout on the banquet tables.
One fun project I had the chance to work on was deciding on the favors to hand out to the guests that evening. With Blood:Water's blessing I ordered several boxes of Fair Trade Certified chocolate bars from Ghana. Each bar was then wrapped with a color picture we printed out and affixed with double-sided tape. Thus each guest received a chocolatey treat along with a momento of Blood:Water's work.
The evening was hosted by Donald Miller, author of several books including Blue Like Jazz, and saw performances by both Jars of Clay and Hanson. Several speakers shared their thoughts on Africa and the work being done there, challenging everyone present to continue to support the efforts of Blood:Water Mission. It is always a pleasure to work with the staff and volunteers of this amazing organization, and February of this year was no different. I was pleased and honored to contribute in a small way to their ongoing work in Africa.
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