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University of Nebraska at Kearney

Strike Up Awareness Baseball Game

Katie Archer

MKT 388: Event Planning & Management

Dustin Favinger

3/22/2018
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Executive Summary

The Strike Up Awareness Baseball Game will be held at Memorial Field on April 14th.

This event will raise proceeds for the Autism Speaks foundation. There will be a tailgate to kick

off the event and multiple opportunities for people to donate through activities. The activities

include baseball bingo, a silent auction, and a raffle. The event will be partnered with UNK

Athletics Department and the sorority Alpha Xi Delta. By partnering with the athletic

department, we get baseball staffing, a venue, marketing materials, and insurance. Alpha Xi

Delta will provide volunteers.

This event will target families and college students. Their will be public service

announcements made by radio and news stations. We will use UNK’s social media accounts to

market the event and keep people up to date on what the event will entail. There will be active

communication before and during the event by volunteers and the announcer of the game. They

will promote the event to the crowd along with warning them about foul balls and the parking

lot.

I am expecting the event to raise a 1,200-dollar profit by donations. This is approximately

four dollars a person. We will have expenses for the tailgate and tailgate supplies, which will be

covered by sponsorships. We will profit on expected donations, which all will go to the Autism

Speaks Foundation. This event is donation based so the better atmosphere we can create, the

more proceeds we will make. The Strike Up Awareness Baseball Game has done well in the past

and I know by adding more activities we can make it more successful this time around.
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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………4

Situation Analysis………………………………………………………………………….…..5-6

Planning and Management…………………………………………………………………….6-8

Marketing Plan………………………………………………………………………………...8-9

Communication Plan…………………………………………………………………………9-11

Financial Plan……………………………………………………………………………….11-12

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..12-14

References……………………………………………………………………………………...15

Summary of Event Attended…………………………………………………………………...16

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Introduction

For this project, I have chosen to plan a baseball game that will raise awareness for

Autism Speaks. The UNK baseball team will be playing a home game against Washburn on

April 14. There will be a tailgate before the event and different activities throughout to raise

proceeds and awareness for Autism Speaks. The Kearney community is close-knit and that is

why I chose to have the UNK baseball team be a part of this fundraiser. The community is

constantly supporting the college and vice versa. Baseball is a spring time favorite, which means

many people will already be in attendance. This being the last year of Loper Baseball, the event

has an opportunity for a greater turnout.

I believe that there is a need for this event because every 1 in 68 children in the United

States is diagnosed with Autism (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 2017). This means

there is an average of 493 people with autism in Kearney. Additionally, numerous people in our

community have known someone with autism or has been affected by it otherwise, which will

motivate people of the community to come out and support Autism Speaks at our Strike Up

Awareness Baseball Game.

The goal for this event is to raise monetary donations for the Autism Speaks Foundation.

There will be around 300 attendees, who will donate through playing baseball bingo, raffles, or

by free will. Due to the free attendance this year, we will not be making money off ticket sales.

Though, the goal is to have each attendee donate four dollars, which will be a grand total of

1,200 dollars. This is plausible because people are saving money by not having to pay an entry

fee.
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Situation Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

 Partnership with UNK  Reliance on sponsorships, volunteers,

 Affiliation with local media and donations

 Consistent fan base  One-person planning committee

 One of final home games  Loss of profit from ticket sales

Opportunities Threats

 Campus happenings- Greek Week  Inconsistent branding of Autism

 Alpha Xi Delta partnership Speaks

 Weather

 Other non-profits/fundraisers

There is an opportunity for this to be a successful event because the use of an existing

event allows for less focus on the planning of the game itself and more on the Autism Speaks

fundraiser. The field will be maintained as it usually would during an in-season game and the

staff working the game will be paid through the university. Additionally, by partnering with the
sorority Alpha Xi Delta the event will have approximately 90 volunteers to help with tailgating,
promotions, and other fundraising events such as baseball bingo. The event is reliant on
Commented [KCA1]: There is not need for a typical ticket
taker or usher because those personnel aren’t used for UNK
baseball.
Volunteers will take on game staffing needs as they arise.

sponsorships and donations, which could potentially be a problem. Although, with Kearney

being such a close-knit community and with the partnerships that are attainable, raising enough

funds and material donations is plausible.

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Fan attendance during baseball games is usually between two hundred to three hundred

people. The attendance should be higher for this game due to the baseball team being cut after

this season. Additionally, Greek Week always adds a baseball game into their festivities. If

coordinated properly, that game could be tacked on to this game as well, which would bring 15

percent of the student population in attendance to this game. We will not receive a percentage for

ticket sales because the university is not charging admission this year. Though, I am optimistic

we can make these funds up in other ways such as tailgate meals, auctions, etc.

Autism Speaks Foundation has had issues in the past in public relations due to the

wording of their mission statement. Originally the foundation started out looking for a cure for

autism, rather than raising awareness. This made many angry because autism is not terminal.

Many people believed that people with autism should be celebrated and not tried to be cured.

Haley Verre says, “The biggest problem with Autism Speaks is that it presents autism as a kind

of “illness” that needs to be cured and as a burden to families with autistic children” (2017).

Since then, Autism Speaks has rebranded to raising awareness and celebrating the lives of those

with autism. This new rebranding should help re-build the trust of the public. Also, autism has

affected many people all over the world, whether a person is personally affected by this

condition, or just knows someone who has been. Autism is well-known and is close to the heart

of many. This means this fundraiser should bring in more donations than other non-profit events

that may be happening in the community at this time.

Planning & Management

The April 14th game was chosen for this event to maximize attendance. With the game

being on a Saturday, students will be out of class and community members will be off work. This

will allow families to attend this event. Also, the game is at noon, which will not disrupt people’s
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night plans and is the perfect time of day for families with young children to be out and about.

April is World Autism Awareness Month as well. This brings a unique characteristic to the

event, which will justify the event and allow attendees to have a sense of involvement in this

cause. However, if weather does not cooperate the event will be postponed until the game on

April 15th, which is a Sunday at 3:00 pm.

The venue was chosen because Memorial Field is where the Loper Baseball Team plays

all their home games. The field has a large enough grass area to have a tailgate along with other

games. Additionally, there is enough seating for the expected number of attendees. The only

concern with this venue is parking. However, there is a large grass lot behind the sanded parking

area that will allow for much more parking space. The concrete area above the seating has

adequate space to set up tables for raffles and donations. Memorial Field is a smaller stadium,

which will create that personal community experience.

Staffing for the game itself will be provided by the university. Staffing for the fundraiser

will be provided by volunteers from the sorority, the non-profit, and community volunteers.

Their jobs will be serving at the tailgate, helping with on-field promotions, talking with the

media, collecting donations, soliciting raffle tickets and bingo cards, and promoting the silent

auction. There is no need for a typical ticket taker or usher because those personnel aren’t used

for UNK baseball. Volunteers will take on game staffing needs as they arise. There will need to

be a person coordinating between the university staff and the fundraiser staff as well. The

fundraising staff should not need more than 20 volunteers, though if Alpha Xi Delta partners

with the event, they will most likely take shifts. We would utilize six people serving the food.

Four people would be helping with tailgate games. Three will be two people helping with on-

field promotions. Two people would be tabling for the donations and raffles. An additional two
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people would be spreading the word about the silent auction and answering questions. Two more

volunteers would be watching over the silent auction online to make sure it is running smoothly.

Finally, one person would be communicating between the staffs. The reason for only having one

person is to eliminate confusion. Each staff will be aware to report to this one person.

There will be a contract between the fundraiser and the university stating that we can

fundraise at this event. UNK Athletics Department has a risk management contract built already,

which states that game-goers are responsible for any damages to themselves or belongings

caused by foul balls and other risks people may take walking into the ballpark. We will reiterate

that and add a caution about parking because of the potholes and uneven ground in the parking

area. During the tailgate, we will tell the attendees that the team is practicing and to be aware of

foul balls coming into the tailgate area on the greens and the parking lot. There will be another

contract with Autism Speaks as well, which will state that 100 percent of proceeds made after

expenses are paid will go to the foundation.

Marketing Plan

The target market for this event is college students, families, and anyone who has a

connection with autism or the Autism Speaks Foundation. With the Kearney community being

very connected with the university, much of the fan base consists of families within the

community. These people will likely be going to the game anyways, therefore we just have to

market the fundraiser to them once they arrive. If we market the game to Greek Week, that will

bring 15 percent of the student population to this event. Finally, people who believe in the cause

of the fundraiser will want to come in support of autism and the Autism Speaks Foundation.
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We will not have an ROI for this event because the event is based on free-will donations

from the attendants through different activities, which will all be donated after the game. All of

the marketing for this event will be taken care of through the partnership with UNK. This is

because we can receive free printing through the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, media

outreach through the campus’s marketing department, and other forms of advertising using the

university’s social media accounts. I will send a press release to Media Director Todd Gottula,

who will send it to local newspaper and radio stations. Additionally, I will contact NBC and

other local news stations to air information about the event. All of these will be announced as

public service announcements on different mediums. I chose these methods because many

families in the Kearney area watch the evening news and this would be a good opportunity to

reach those viewers. Furthermore, many people listen to the 5-o’clock radio on their way home

from work, which would reach the same family audience. Steve Fuller says that people spend

815 minutes listening to the radio every week and the weekly radio reach is 90.1 percent (2018).

The students on campus will hear about the event through campus flyers and UNK Athletics’

Twitter page. Therefore, I will have a variety of ways to reach my target audience.

Communications Plan

According Duncan & Moriarty, “Communication is the human activity that links people

together and creates relationships. It is at the heart of meaning-making activities not only in

marketing, but also in a wide range of political, social, economic, and psychological areas”

(1998). I will communicate with my target audience through media outlets and on-campus

promotions before the event. Contests are a great way of drawing in a crowd. Therefore,

announcing that the person who will throw the first pitch of the ballgame will be raffled off at the

tailgate will help draw people in. Additionally, by posting on UNK’s social media accounts
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beforehand, I will reach many possible attendees. By announcing all the prizes that we will be

raffling, the silent auction, and baseball bingo on these pages, we should be able to draw in many

college students and families who are excited for the game.

At the tailgate, we will communicate with people through the volunteers. There will be

many volunteers there to answer questions before, during, and after the event. The announcer

will announce the raffle to win the first pitch, the tailgate pricing, and warn them about possible

foul balls. During the game, the announcer will make many announcements promoting the event

and the auction. We will also have people in charge of on-field promotions, who will go around

and find people to participate in the activities held on the field between innings. Volunteers will

be walking around between innings to ask attendees if they would like to buy raffle tickets, play

baseball bingo, or be a part of the silent auction. Additionally, the volunteers at the tables will be

available to answer any questions the guests may have. After the game, the announcer will thank

everyone for coming out to the game and event and remind them to watch traffic in the parking

lot to keep accidents from happening. Volunteers will be available after the game as well to show

gratitude and help attendees with anything they need.

There will be a staff meeting with both staffs before the event to clarify the chain of

command for the event and what the event will look like. One person will be overseeing the

UNK Athletic Staff and one person over the fundraising staff. Each staff member will report to

these people, who will report to each other. Since the venue is small, there is no need for

headsets and radios. Most of the volunteers will be in close proximity to each other to ask

questions and lend each other a hand. The reason I have one person in charge of each staff, is so

everyone knows who to report to if an issue arises or a question needs clarification. When

working with two staffs, there is a chance for things to get complicated, therefore I think it is
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easier to have the same two people communicating with each other to have a unified system.

Volunteers will report to the person heading their staff, who then will communicate with the

person heading the other staff.

Financial Plan

Profit and Loss Statement

Strike Up Awareness Baseball Game

Revenue
Projected Sponsorships $600
Projected Donations $900
Tailgate Revenue $300

Gross Profit: $1,800

Expenses
Luke & Jake's $500
Tailgate Supplies $100
Marketing This will be paid for through partnership with UNK 0
Venue This will be paid for through partnership with UNK 0
Staffing This will be paid for through partnership with UNK 0
Raffle Supplies This will be paid for through partnership with UNK 0
Total Expenses: $600

Net Income: $1,200

Because of the partnership with UNK Athletics, the marketing and raffle supplies will be

taken care of through the marketing office on campus, and the venue is contracted through UNK

Athletics. UNK Athletics will have paid staff members for the ballgame as well. That means that

the only expenses for the fundraiser are the tailgate food and supplies. The estimate for both is

about 600 dollars. The food was calculated based on the number of attendees expected to be at

the tailgate and Luke & Jake’s catering prices. The estimated number of attendees for the tailgate

was 150. Last year, 120 people showed up, but we ran out of food at around 100. Through

marketing efforts, I estimate a growth of 30 people and have calculated enough food to feed 150
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people total. Tailgate supplies include plates, napkins, silverware, and tablecloths. I plan to get

six 100-dollar sponsorships, which will cover the tailgate costs. Additionally, I estimated every

attendee to spend four dollars, either in tailgate costs or other activities. The tailgate will be two

dollars per plate. With the sponsorships covering the food costs, the tailgate will produce some

of the revenue donation for this event. This price was determined because people will not pay a

high price for the food because they could get cheaper options at the concessions and the

baseball stadium allows people to bring outside food in. Since I am not trying to cover any

expenses, I decided that this was a good price to get the maximum number of people to eat. The

projected donations were based on the 300 attendees spending four dollars, so if 150 attendees

spend two dollars that is already a quarter of the funds for this event. Other raffles, silent

auctions, and activities should be able to bring in the other 900 dollars.

This event is not supposed to be profitable because it is a free-will donation event, though

I am optimistic that we will make a profitable donation to the Autism Speaks Foundation. The

sponsorships are in place to cover our losses in case the event does not have the expected turnout

or donation rate. This means the fundraiser will not lose money, even if it does not make as much

as projected.

Conclusion

My goal for this event is to raise at least four dollars per attendee, which would come to a

grand total of 1,200 dollars. However, I will be satisfied with 1,000 dollars. All the proceeds are

being donated to the Autism Speaks foundation. I will reach these goals by having a numerous

amount of activities that people can donate to enter. These activities include the silent auction

where spectators can win prizes such as a signed jersey, a game ball, or a chance to meet the

team. Additionally, there will be baseball bingo, which is a bingo card that is full of things that
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might happen throughout the game like a home-run, a double, or a catch made in the outfield.

When someone gets a bingo on these cards, they can receive a raffle prize. Events like this and

the money made from the tailgate will make this goal possible. With the expenses for the raffle

prizes and tailgate food being covered by sponsorships, all the money being made at this event

will go straight to Autism Speaks. By having 100 percent of the proceeds being donated, people

will be more apt to spend money because they know that the foundation will be making all the

profit, not just a percentage like other events do.

I will measure success by the number of attendees and if they are donating to the cause. If

people are spending money on the activities and tailgate, the event will be successful. However,

if nobody is donating the event will not make the goal amount to donate to Autism Speaks. The

main goal is to donate a large amount to the foundation, so to make this a successful event it is

important for the announcer and volunteers to keep pushing the activities to the attendees and let

them know what types of differences this donation can make. Kearney’s Autism Speaks

Foundation does a lot to support local children with autism and helps families with different

expenses. Autism Speaks says, “Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average” (2012). This

foundation supports families by helping with these costs. If people realize how the money they

are spending is making a difference, they will be more likely to donate to the cause.

This will be a successful event because this disability is prevalent to everyone and is

everywhere. According to Autism Speaks, “Autism is one of the fastest-growing developmental

disorders in the U.S” (2012). With 1 in 68 children being diagnosed every year, it is important

that we support and raise awareness of those affected. This event is not like any other non-profit

fundraiser because there are multiple aspects of this event and the cause affects more than a

specific amount of the population. With the support of the college and the foundation, we can
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make this event reach a wide range of people. I have put on this event in the past and it did well

enough to where they recreated it this year. The baseball team will be cut after this year, but the

event will live on in another program because this cause affects so many people.
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References

Autism Speaks. (2012, June 05). Facts about Autism. Retrieved from

https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, February 12). Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Duncan, T., & Moriarty, S. E. (1998). A Communication-Based Marketing Model for Managing

Relationships. Journal of Marketing, 62(2), 2. doi:10.2307/1252157

Fuller, S. (2018). Topic: Radio Industry. Retrieved from

https://www.statista.com/topics/1330/radio/

Verre, H. (2017, April 14). Uncovering the controversy of Autism Speaks: What you should

know. Retrieved from https://simmonsvoice.com/2017/04/14/uncovering-the-

controversy-of-autism-speaks-what-you-should-know/
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Summary of Event Attended

I attended this years Loper Baseball for Autism Speaks event sponsored by the sorority

Alpha Xi Delta. I planned and managed this event last year, so I was looking forward to seeing

the improvements this year. I was a little disappointed by the lack of activities and the date of the

event. The event was held on a Wednesday at 3:00 pm. This was not chosen well because most

community members are working during this time because it is in the middle of the work week.

Additionally, most campus athletic teams have practice during this time and many organizations

have meetings. By hosting this event on this date, they limited their outreach for attendance.

Therefore, for my event I chose to do a Saturday at noon. This is because it is available for many

people because it is on a weekend and it will not ruin evening plans.

The only activity available at the event this year was baseball bingo. That was

disappointing because not a lot of people wanted to donate to the cause because that was the only

option available to them and it was not marketed well. The volunteers were standing at the

entrance but were not persuading people to buy the bingo cards. For my event, I chose to do

multiple activities so there is something for everyone. Volunteers will also be walking through

the stands to persuade people to market and promote these activities.

The event did have an announcer who after every inning would say something about

Autism Speaks or give an autism related fact. I thought this was a really good idea because it

makes people aware of what autism is and how it is relevant to today’s society. The announcer

also promoted the baseball bingo and listed some of the prizes people could win and I thought

that was an easy way to make people aware of the activities that were happening.