Gala Volunteers

Email debbieb@fasps.org to join the gala volunteer team!

We need a great team to help the event run smoothly. This is a fun way to get another view of the event and meet new people.  The gala is a huge undertaking and we couldn’t do it without our wonderful volunteers.

All volunteers will receive plenty of training on their roles, so there is no experience necessary! Even if you are attending the gala, you are welcome to help with setting up the silent auction item display in the morning and/or helping with packing up and loading the truck at the end of the night.

Volunteers are encouraged to serve in multiple roles throughout the evening. If you can only stay for a portion of the evening, that’s fine too, any and all help is appreciated. Please indicate your availability if you would like partial shift. A volunteer dinner will be served for those who can stay for the entire event. Volunteers will need to arrive at 4:45 for training. You may also stay for dancing and attend the after-party.

Auction Night-Of Volunteer Opportunities
4:45 pm – 10:00 pm, Saturday, March 30
The Golf Club at Newcastle
Dinner Provided

Registration and Hospitality
Welcome guests, distribute bid packets, pre-register credit cards if not already in the database, file paperwork. You will be using the software “Go Time” through Greater Giving. Every guest needs to have a credit card on file for check out. The bid packet contains guest table assignment, meal card, bid card, and catalog. There will be an event night consultant to train the registration volunteers and provide database assistance throughout the event.

Silent Auction Monitoring/Silent Auction Closer
Oversee items, answer questions, monitor bid sheets. Listen for the auctioneer to announce the closing, then pick up all the pens, go back and circle the winning bid number on each bid sheet. Collect the top white bid sheets and deliver to data entry. After the last closing and the room has cleared, tape the yellow bid sheet to the item. If it’s a certificate item, tape the yellow bid sheet to the certificate placard.

Wine Toss
There are 40 bottles of wine of varying values. Record bidder number of the guest on the wine toss bid sheet and wine bag. Retrieve the rings from the wine bottles and give to the guests to play the game. Guests get to toss a ring until they land on a bottle and can take that bottle home. They can look at the bottles to pick the one they aim for. Deliver the wine bottle bags to the ‘item pick up’ room. The wine is not to be consumed on Gala night.

8th Grade Adult Monitor
The role of the 8th grade monitor is to answer questions the students may have as they sell the golden tickets (raffle) during the silent auction and assist the students in bringing the silent auction items to the item pick-up room. The 8th grade monitor and the students will spend the rest of the evening in the break room having dinner and “hanging out”. The students are allowed to bring games, books, movies, etc. During the Live auction the students will be escorted to the ballroom for the presentation of the 8th grade legacy gift. They will be escorted back to the break room where they will be picked up by their parents.

Data Entry
Using the “Go Time” Greater Giving software, enter bids from bid sheets into the database. There will be an event night consultant to train the data entry volunteers and provide database assistance throughout the event.

Photography
Take photographs of the guests as they arrive in front of the ‘step and repeat’ banner. After most guests have arrived, take photos of the wine toss game, of guests mingling during the silent auction, the live auction and the after party (dancing).

Coats/Desserts
Greet guests as they arrive. Let guests know where they may hang their coats (ballroom foyer and silent auction tent). If a guest arrives with a dessert, offer to take their dessert and place it on the Dessert Dash table in the ball room.

Item Pick Up
After the silent auction is over, items will be brought to the “item pick-up” room. Put the items in numerical order. Using a report of ‘items sold by bidder number’, find each bidder’s purchases and put them a shopping bag. Put the bags in relative order for easy pick up when the guests leave.  The event night consultant can help with this process and provide the reports.

Live Auction Recorder
Working with a partner, record the winning bid numbers and dollar amount paid for each item. Record fund-a-need amounts.

Live Auction Runners
Pick up bid sheets from guest tables as soon as the dessert dash bidding ends (announced by the auctioneer) and bring bid sheets to data entry. Get recorder forms for each item sold and quickly acquire a signature from the winning bidder, then take the signed bid sheet to data entry.

Live Auction Spotters
Point out bidders to the auctioneer, thank back-up bidders, thank winning bidders, identify the winning bidder for the runners.

Thank you to all volunteers. You are an integral role in the success of the gala and we couldn’t do it without you – merci!