Alex Clarke from Rethink Breast Cancer shares her insights from the success of Boobyball Mini, at Berkeley Church event venue Toronto.
What was the original concept behind the Boobyball Mini event and what are the unique benefits of having a celebration that a whole family can participate in?
Boobyball, our flagship fundraiser just celebrated its 16th year this October. While we still see some of the original Boobyballers attending every year across the country, many of them have started families and are looking for things to do with their kids. We started Boobyball Mini to give parents a fun afternoon out with their family and friends, while also giving them an outlet to teach their little ones about the importance of giving back.
What are some of the ways that you effectively use social media at your events to increase awareness and participation in your organization?
Being a charity with a small marketing budget, social media is an important outlet in increasing awareness for our events. We rely on our amazing volunteer committees to promote the event to their friends and family through social media and word of mouth to help us sell tickets. Social outreach is also an important outlet to connect our generous sponsors with our cause.
The Boobyball Mini at the Berkeley Church was styled to perfection and created a truly immersive and fun environment. What were some of the stages in this process?
Whenever we plan an event, we love to transport our guests to another place. When planning a children’s event like Boobyball Mini, we always look to spark imagination and encourage the kids to interact with each other. We aim to create an atmosphere where both children and their parents can have a great time, both individually and together. We start with the theme, and work with our incredible vendors and event team to create an immersive experience for the whole family. This year’s theme was ‘Fairy-tale’
What were some of the features of the Boobyball Mini, that you feel made it a great success?
This year, we were so lucky to work with so many amazing vendors and sponsors who helped us create unforgettable experiences for kids and their parents. From a ball pit and a dance-off to a quiet reading nook, there was something for everyone and every age. When parents can bring kids of all ages, it allows them to spend more family time together and create memories.
How does Rethink Breast Cancer cultivate relationships that diversify and build the organization?
We love to foster relationships with long-time Rethink supporters and continue working with these amazing volunteers year after year. For Boobyball Mini, we are incredibly lucky to have some of the original Boobyball founders still working closely with Rethink to help us fulfill our mission to empower and advocate for young people worldwide who are concerned about and affected by breast cancer. Every year, our network grows across Canada and we are extremely grateful for all of the time and effort given to support our cause.
Why was the Berkeley Church a good location for this event?
We were first and foremost attracted to Berkeley Church for Boobyball Mini because it fit perfectly with our fairy-tale theme. As we outgrew our event space after our first year, Berkeley Church was the perfect space to move to in 2016 for our second annual event. They were an amazing partner and assisted us in keeping our event costs down in order to help us bring more money back to the charity.
Rethink Breast Cancer Foundation focuses on low overhead and high impact creative entrepreneurialism keeping the focus and funds directed at the cause and the people affected by it. What are some of the ways this approach has propelled the efforts forward into new territories?
Our number one goal is to raise funds to help the crucial work we do at Rethink. When throwing an event, we aim to show our supporters how their money will directly affect the lives of young women dealing with breast cancer. Transparency of where our funds are directed gives our supporters the trust and willingness to continue supporting us every year. As we continue to receive support from donors and partners, it allows us to grow our events into new markets.
One of the missions is to inspire a new generation of breast cancer supporters. How do events like the mini ball work to spread the ideas and potential of new supporters?
As Rethink supports young women dealing with breast cancer, we try to throw events that encourage young people to get involved in their community and in philanthropy. We give parents an outlet to teach their kids about philanthropy and giving back at a young age, because it’s never too early to start!
How does each event build on the success of the previous one to create a new experience?
Every year, our events grow bigger and spread into new cities across the country. We rely heavily on word-of-mouth of both our committees and event attendees to promote our events. In only its second year, Boobyball Mini has almost doubled in size in Toronto and moved across the country to Vancouver. The more successful we are with an event, the more we can grow in the following year and bring the experience to new cities across Canada.
Rethink Breast Cancer Foundation is constantly rethinking the traditional discourse surrounding breast cancer awareness, approaching the cause in a way that is daring, fresh, and relevant. How does this approach translate into the approach of the event you put on?
We love to create unique experiences unlike any other events across Canada. From Boobyball where we create an interactive experience throughout the night, to Boobyball Mini where we cater activities to both parents and children, it is our goal to wow our guests each and every time they walk through our doors!
