There are two ways to do this event ... BIG TIME or SMALL TIME
We never used this idea at the University of Arizona. Our Greek advisory board did not like the idea and informed me behind closed doors that if we went forward with this event as a philanthropy idea their would be repercussions. As well the University did not support the auctioning of individuals nor did the athletic department. Completely understandable so here is how you can do the event anyways.
Pike Date Auction = PDA .... is their really any better abbreviation for an event than that ... I think not! You need to set up the event not as a auction but rather a mentoring program. This was my greatest mistake with this event. I wanted it to be Big Time and by starting off as an auction the minds of individuals with power were already made up. You have the chance to start off right by never mentioning the word 'AUCTION'.
You need to understand and sell the event to people that you are not auctioning off dates, instead you are auctioning off the ability for the student body to be mentored by, talk to, befriend and socialize with prominent University students. By doing this you are not soliciting dates, etc, instead you are trying to help the student body. Did it hurt that everyone I asked to be apart of the event was not only good looking but as well prominent on campus, nope!
EXAMPLES:
Don't get me wrong. This was a date auction regardless, the individuals participating knew it and were okay with it but you have to sell the idea to make it work.
To get around your greek system you can just make the event into community service or a social event. At the University of Arizona the greek system doesn't come into play or need to approve anything if its not Philanthropy. You can just donate any funds later in the year or put it towards buying toys for P4T or PFC, etc.
To get around the athletic department ensure any athletes that participate do not receive any awards, prizes or cash money for their participation. Non-athletes it's okay, just have to protect your athletes from NCAA violations.
......................................
SMALL TIME
You can also make the event great but smaller by having it at your Pike house and only involve Pike brothers. Invite the sororities for a one night charity event and auction off 8-15 of your brothers with the money being used for donation and philanthropy. Clear everything with your local university police force to ensure you don't have noise complaints and they know what you are doing, they tend to leave you alone if you are doing charity stuff.
We never used this idea at the University of Arizona. Our Greek advisory board did not like the idea and informed me behind closed doors that if we went forward with this event as a philanthropy idea their would be repercussions. As well the University did not support the auctioning of individuals nor did the athletic department. Completely understandable so here is how you can do the event anyways.
Pike Date Auction = PDA .... is their really any better abbreviation for an event than that ... I think not! You need to set up the event not as a auction but rather a mentoring program. This was my greatest mistake with this event. I wanted it to be Big Time and by starting off as an auction the minds of individuals with power were already made up. You have the chance to start off right by never mentioning the word 'AUCTION'.
You need to understand and sell the event to people that you are not auctioning off dates, instead you are auctioning off the ability for the student body to be mentored by, talk to, befriend and socialize with prominent University students. By doing this you are not soliciting dates, etc, instead you are trying to help the student body. Did it hurt that everyone I asked to be apart of the event was not only good looking but as well prominent on campus, nope!
EXAMPLES:
- I had Rob Gromkowski (former UA football player, current NE Patriot) on board. My plan would be that a guy or girl could bid on him and if they won could talk about football, making the UA team, or expectations about the NFL.
- I had a Pi Phi sorority sister who was also the Homecoming Queen. Plan was that a guy or girl could bid on her and talk about greek life, being homecoming queen, or anything relating to college.
- I had the student body president (member of Pike). Plan was that a guy or girl interested in student council could bid, win and talk about politics or how to start working towards being apart of the University political scene.
- I had 4 sorority presidents on board. Plan was again a guy or girl could talk about greek life, being in a sorority, being the president, etc.
- I had other University of Arizona athletes on board. One male baseball player and a female tennis and a female gymnastics athlete.
- I had the president of both business fraternities on board and a member of the pre-law fraternity. Now someone could bid, win and talk about business, law, leadership, clubs, etc.
- I had two girls (one sorority, one not) that were part of a new college bathing suit calendar that wanted to be auctioned off together. Someone that bid and won could talk about modeling, photo shoots, greek life, non-greek life, etc.
- The list goes on, in total I had about 24 individuals ready to go and wanting to participate.
Don't get me wrong. This was a date auction regardless, the individuals participating knew it and were okay with it but you have to sell the idea to make it work.
To get around your greek system you can just make the event into community service or a social event. At the University of Arizona the greek system doesn't come into play or need to approve anything if its not Philanthropy. You can just donate any funds later in the year or put it towards buying toys for P4T or PFC, etc.
To get around the athletic department ensure any athletes that participate do not receive any awards, prizes or cash money for their participation. Non-athletes it's okay, just have to protect your athletes from NCAA violations.
......................................
SMALL TIME
You can also make the event great but smaller by having it at your Pike house and only involve Pike brothers. Invite the sororities for a one night charity event and auction off 8-15 of your brothers with the money being used for donation and philanthropy. Clear everything with your local university police force to ensure you don't have noise complaints and they know what you are doing, they tend to leave you alone if you are doing charity stuff.
