Mark your calendar now to attend the PPA Charities' Celebration the evening of January 10, 2009, in Phoenix...before Imaging USA officially starts.
The celebration event features fun, fellowship and food. Once again, the silent and live auctions will raise some funds (and provide fun!). And keep tuned to learn who the special VIP guest is this time!
Here's an example of how eager photographers are to help when they are simply asked to support a worthy cause: At last year's Make More Money Conference in Memphis, PPA Board member Carol Andrews, who is also a board liaison to PPA Charities, challenged her sales program audience to make a difference in a child's life by donating to Operation Smile. Carol hoped to raise $240, enough to fund one cleft palate operation. Instead, she raised nearly $500 in 5 minutes!
Hats off to Texas School Director Don Dickson, who put his hair on the line at the School's final night party. Don volunteered his head to be shaved for a $5,000 donation to PPA Charities. The nearly 1,000 students in attendance quickly met the challenge, and Don's hair was history (thanks to the stylish efforts of Kansas photographer and former salon stylist Quinn Hancock).
A challenge has been issued: The members of Virginia Professional Photographers Association (VPPA) challenge each and every other state organization to do hold a photographers auction or similar event during state seminars and conventions. The time commitment is minimal, the fun is boundless and the change that can be made is endless. It's true...they raised over $7,000 in less than 45 minutes!
It began February 29, 2008, when the VPPA gathered in Portsmouth, Virginia, for their annual membership brunch, during which they held a photographers' auction (all of the proceeds benefit PPA Charities this year).
Seven local studios volunteered to be auctioned off at the brunch. Each studio agreed to be a mentor for the winning bidder: they would spend one day with the winning bidder at their studio, or the winner could come and visit the mentor's studio. This decision was completely up to the winner, although the date had to be mutually agreed upon.
Nothing motivates people like a challenge. In October 2007, PPA Charities Trustee David Grupa and his good friend David Jones were presenting a program to the Twin Cities Professional Photographers of America (TCPPA). After asking the audience to support PPA Charities, he blurted out this challenge: "If you can put $500 on the table before the end of the night, I will let you shave my head at the next meeting!"
Dave left the meeting with his hair intact, but TCPPA President Mark Kiefer called a few days later, asking "How serious were you about the offer to shave your head?" They chatted about ways to raise money and came up with an idea: Since there are no entry fees on the TCPPA level, members entering the November print competition were challenged to donate $25 per case to PPA Charities. At that rate, 30 cases would bring $750. If that goal was reached, Dave's previous offer would stand.
