Executive Director’s Report

September 18, 2012

Club Events:

On August 25^th, Soberfest 2012 was held here at the Club (see the Soberfest 2012 Financial Report for details of cost/fundraising information). The estimates of attendance at this 6-hour outdoor event ranged from 250-300 people, and 100% of those in attendance had fun.  The event included 7 different live acts performing a wide-range of musical styles (did you hear our very own Merge and his hard-driving band?), a celebrity dunk tank (did you see Patrick? It was so wrong!!!), a bouncy house for the kids (it only deflated once the whole time trapping no one inside, thank God), face painting, food and lots of information booths and recovery-related items for sale.  A special “thank you” to the Home of New Vision, as they donated the costs of the dunk tank rental, which allowed the Club to collect 100% of the proceeds raised ($391).  Next year Soberfest 2013 will be on Saturday, August 24, 2013.

On Tuesday, August 28^th, the Club hosted a special evening outdoor speaker meeting presented by the Gypsy Big Book group.  Anticipating a large crowd, a second concession stand was set up outside (thanks to Scott, Grant and Patrick for handling the large crowd’s concession and literature needs), 300 seats were set up outside by a group of volunteers (thanks to Dawn Farm for the loan of almost 100 seats), and arrangements were made to park cars at the Peace Neighborhood Center (thanks to Bonnie Billups for his help).  The meeting was an amazing success.  The speaker, Chris Raymer from Ingram, Texas, provided a dynamic and passionate call for strong sponsorship and diligent step work; the reaction to his talk was overwhelmingly positive.  Over 420 people attended ( and maybe as many as 450), making it the largest AA meeting ever held at the Club and maybe the largest AA meeting ever held in Washtenaw County.  We sold at least an additional $300 in concessions inside, $204 outside concessions (including  jewelry sales of $64), and collected $472 in the 7^th Tradition baskets ( less $75 handed over to the Gypsy group).  The talk was taped (thanks, Scott C.), and over 100 CDs have been given out free of charge.  A few CDs still remain.

Due to the efforts of the staff at the Club, the recently released documentary film “Bill W.” came to the Michigan Theater for one showing only, Tuesday, September 11^th.  The Club sold 89 tickets to the movie, provided 36 tickets to some of the Club’s donors, and through the generosity of the Saturday Morning Men’s meeting, an additional 45 tickets were distributed free to men and women who could not otherwise afford the $10 ticket price.  473 attended the movie, including one of the interviewees, Ann Arbor’s very own Ernie Kurtz.  Anyone who attended this event will not soon forget the thrill of watching the story of the co-founder of AA with almost 500 friends!!!

The Club received a donation of $200.03 from the Kroger Community Rewards Program which the Club joined in April.  Kroger sends a percentage of sales to the Club from purchases if you join the rewards program and designate the Club as recipient.  Please see www.krogercommunityrewards.com to sign up. Have you and your family and friends signed up yet?  It costs you nothing and contributes to your Club.

Memberships sold in July totaled 5 and in August, 14 were sold (including a lifetime membership and 2 PayPal purchases on-line).

Club Staff/Volunteers:

This month’s spotlight on a Club staff/volunteer falls on Jerry C.  Jerry and his family own 2 restaurants in the Plymouth area.  Jerry has used his culinary expertise at many of our Club events in the last 2 years, including Angel’s Night and Soberfest.  If you have attended a Club event in the last 2 years and had some delicious food you can thank Jerry.  Jerry also has raised thousands of dollars for the Club by selling (“if you don’t buy 5 tickets, I will break your arms”) raffle tickets for our 50/50 events.  Thank you, Jerry, you exemplify service work at its finest.

Facilities:

To accommodate several requests from groups wanting to hold meetings in the morning, the Club is now open earlier 2 days during the week.  The Club is now open 98 hours per week and 60 groups hold weekly meetings here.  The Club is truly a vital and busy center for recovery in the Washtenaw County area.

Thanks to a generous donation from Four Seasons Sunrooms, the office now has the use of a Toshiba copier that blows the old copiers out of the water, and it even staples!!!  We can now make fast and high quality color copies without sending printing out to be copied. Thanks to Four Seasons Sunrooms for the donation.

Has anyone noticed that the dumpster has been moved?  It is now in an out-of-the-way corner of the parking lot, improving the look of our outdoor gathering areas.  These areas are also now brightly illuminated by the recent installation of some new outdoor lighting.  Thanks to Patrick and Andy.

Ron Plunkett
Executive Director
Washtenaw Alano Club