Comfort Food For Your Head

“Sometimes the last thing we want is really the first thing we need”.

I read this quote somewhere, but not sure where or who said it. In any case it got me to thinking about how comfortable we all sometimes get. The business is doing OK; its fairly predictable and, well, we even get bored now and then.

So to relieve that boredom we go looking for excitement; sometimes in the wrong places – food, clothes, cars, boats, 2^nd homes, more material stuff that satisfies us for a minute, but we rarely ever get to the fulfilling stuff that lasts and lasts.

For me, getting to fulfilling stuff takes human interaction and getting into other people's lives that are not as blessed as mine.  To make this happen, I have volunteered for organizations that give me “pain”.  In discomfort or tragedy, I found that I get my deepest satisfaction in helping others.  Maybe that’s why the role of “consultant” and “coach” wears well on my frame.

One of my most beloved charities is “Our Time Theatre”, an artistic home for kids who stutter.  Having struggled with this malady most of my life and having seen its devastating effects on young people’s self esteem, I was determined to do something about it so I volunteered for Our Time. 

The Our Time staff, nurtures kids through acting, song and writing.  Children become aware that their “voice” does matter no matter how long it takes them to say something.  The services of Our Time are absolutely FREE for these kids.

Pretty soon I was on the Board of Directors doing everything I could to help raise money for this cause.

And this month (October 22nd) we will be raising money by doing a Bowling Event with celebrities like Paul Rudd, Mariska Hargitay of Law and Order fame and Jesse L Martin too as well as 25 or 30 other TV and Broadway personalities.

The event will take place at Lucky Strike on 42^nd street in Manhattan NY and if you would like to support this cause, here is a link to the site. PLEASE give what you can. Every $5 or $10 helps another kid http://www.ourtimestutter.org/bowlingbenefit/

But here’s really why I am writing about this.   Your bowling center or family entertainment center is a wonderful place for fund raising for local or national causes. And I know you have done a bunch of them.

The problem is, your market probably doesn't know that you can help put “the fun in fundraising.” 

More importantly, by passionately and purposely doing fund raisers, your life, your business and your employees will feel more fulfilled. Morale will grow as will a sense of teamwork and of having a higher purpose. And the economic benefits will be more than you ever expected.

So get out of your comfort zone. Stop worrying about leagues and walk in open play and make a real effort to get fund raising events at your center.

Start with letters, emails, press releases, blogs and newsletters. Then make that follow up phone call  to invite the fund raising leader to see your center and to have you explain how EASY an event will be for him or her to do.

If you don’t already have a list of religious groups, organizations, schools and non profit organizations, call or visit Infousa.com and speak to someone about buying a list. The cost is anywhere from 25 cents to 40 cents per contact. Maybe less.

If you bought 500 contacts, your cost, at most, would be around $200.  It’s a good investment in a resource that you can use over and over; perhaps three or four times annually

As a bowling center operator, fund raising is probably the most rewarding thing you can do and is the place where you will find more out about yourself than you can ever imagine.

Do it today and you’ll feel better in the morning. J