Mardi Gras Celebration. March 7, 2014

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1 Mardi Gras Celebration March 7, 2014

2 Delaware guidance services for children and youth Our Mission: To provide quality mental health services for children, youth and their fmailies. We believe that all children have a right to good mental health and should have access to quality therapeutic care, regardless of their ability to pay. Our Vision To have quality mental health services available to every child in Delaware; to reduce the incidence of emotional problems in children.

3 DGS SERVICE DATA DGS is Delaware s largest not-for-profit provider of non-residential mental health services for children and their families. 15,000 youth served in 2012; 2891 were in our outpatient program and 244 were part of our Intensive Outpatient community based program. 114,609 treatment sessions provided There are 300 or more children and adolescents on the DGS waiting lists at any given time. 80% or more DGS clients receive Medicaid; over 90% have annual household incomes under $30,000 DGS s Child Priority Response Service assisted over 5,000 children in crisis Our school counseling program provided services for over 5700 students in eleven elementary schools

4 2014 Event Objectives: Refresh the annual Champagne gala, while maintaining unique, signature style and tradition. Broaden the experience and refresh the interest of the audience and corporate partners. Reduce the cost per person in order to encourage higher participation and higher return on investment. Incorporate pre and post event activities to further leverage the event as a fundraising and friend raising activity.

5 The Theme: Mardi Gras Champagne Celebration French traditions were carried on into the Louisiana cuisines and pastries in addition to their love of wines and champagnes. Mardi Gras colors, purple, green and gold, will be used in decorating and marketing. The use of beads and the collection of beads will be incorporated into the décor and the fundraising activities of the event. The beads will also be utilized in pre-event activities to further promote the main event. New Orleans Jazz combo for entertainment and traditional New Orleans second line procession at the kick-off of the event. Mardi Gras masks will be used in the décor. Masks will be made by children in our programs or members of other community organizations looking for volunteer service hours.

6 Pre-Event Activities Wine/Champagne Tastings For the two months leading up to the event, DGS in partnership with local beverage distributors will host a series of wine tasting events at different venues. Each host location will be asked to provide a sampling of four preselected wines. Guests would vote for their favorite of the four tastings and the winning wine would be featured at the Champagne Gala. Through on-line marketing and personal outreach from the planning committee and corporate partners, guests would be invited to pre-register for each tasting. The partnership with the host location would include a 20% contribution toward DGS for each bottle of wine sold the night of their tasting. Tastings would include publicity of the Main event and encourage early reservations for the main event. Sponsorship opportunities for each of the tastings would be offered to local restaurants and businesses looking for a unique opportunity to market their own business.

7 Pre-Event Activities Custom Jewelry and On-line Silent Auction An on-line auction will be incorporated to encourage more participation and community support and to encourage higher bidding on the auction items. The on-line auction will run for two months leading up to the event. This auction page will encourage donors to give higher priced and quality items because of the added marketing value we could offer. The DGS Custom Jewelry piece would be a feature item of the auction and would receive considerable PR to drive consumers to the Silent Auction web site. Committee working on the use of smart phones and instant bidding for pre-event bidding and nigh-of-event bidding.

8 The Main Event Food and Beverages: In order to reduce the cost of event tickets, we will reduce the number of champagnes and replace them with nice wines (selected through the preevent wine tastings). Tickets will be priced at $150 per person. Rather than a full four course meal, we will provide samplings of a variety of dishes paired with the featured champagnes and wines. Guests would roam the room from station to station, where the chefs and sommelier will explain the pairings. It is recommended to continue with the wheel barrow of wine raffle, but also encourage patrons to purchase tickets on-line or at pre-event wine tastings. Live Auction - Selected items would be live auctioned periodically throughout the evening s festivities. Each pre-selected item will also be highlighted and promoted on the Web page, through e-blasts etc. to raise excitement and encourage preparation for bidding.