How to have a benefit?

General Off Topic
1

I’m from a small town in the upstate (Woodruff), moved on to a bigger small town in the upstate (Greenwood) but a guy from back home had a stroke, 37 yrs old and he’s barely walking these days. He was the bread winner, self employed hard working kind of guy and was always a great guy/friend to everyone. Not sure about insurance, but I got wind that he’s in the gap between self made/real income and disability kicking in with doc bills piling up.

I play a little music out/about in Greenwood/Greenville area. The guys I play with agreed we should do something. It also happens to be about 20 years since we graduated. So, I’ve tapped the class leadership and everyone is on board for the class of '96 and '97 to present/sponsor a benefit for the guy. Each class had about 120 people in it, but the benefit will also be open to the public.

We’re thinking to find a restaurant/bar that will host it that’s good for music, has indoor/outdoor seating and will kind of give us free range of the place targeting a Saturday evening/night in May. We were a bit optimistic about how easy that would be. The first few places expect us to bring $5-8k up front to even get it locked in. That’s a tough thing. We ignorantly hoped to just guarantee a good night and get the place on board because that’s how our band gigs go. This is a bit bigger scale. I don’t disagree with their numbers/request, just looking for suggestions or experience from you guys on how to do it.

We didn’t want to get into providing everything at a venue that is not a bar/restaurant.

Any input or experience or suggestions that you want to share on venue or any other aspect of something like this?

BG

2

http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveodland/2012/05/07/how-to-start-a-charity/

https://www.facebook.com/We-Need-To-Do-A-Benefit-Fundraiser-But-How-160503990655372/

3

Check with Sports Break in Greenwood. Really good owners, they may be able to help with a venue.

4

Sports Break would be great, I think we’re targeting the Greenville/Spartanburg area. That’s where the reunion draw might have the most impact. A Sports Break kind of place would be the perfect place.
This place looks absolutely perfect, but they want $8k.
http://www.southernculturekitchenandbar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SouthernCulturekitchenandbar/videos

I’d like to somehow find a place that would benefit from us having a benefit there… so we aren’t really on the hook for a lot up front and can focus on putting money in the bucket, not in the venue. I think I can raise $3k for a venue and it be somehow a partnership beyond that, we bring the people and they supply food and maybe there’s a cash bar or something. I’m doubting I can get a great place with that plan, hopefully a good place though.

Polyball - that Facebook link has some awesome ideas. Thanks for that.
I don’t think I’m going to start a charity yet, though it’s been tossed around that we could do this annually for the hometown.

BG