Summer students working to make museum fundraiser a success

By Kirk Starratt

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

They say they’ve gained invaluable experience along the way and hope their efforts will come to fruition in the form of a successful fundraiser for the Kings County Museum later this fall.

Kings County Museum summer students Sarah Dunham and Jennie Weisner have been working as fundraising coordinators for the upcoming Stadacona Band Concert and Silent Auction. The event takes place at the Horton High School Performance Centre in Greenwich Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m., beginning with the silent auction and concluding with the performance. Admission is by freewill offering.

The Stadacona Band of Maritime Forces Atlantic features 35 musicians and is one of six regular force military bands serving the Canadian Forces. The band, which has always called Halifax home, will celebrate its 68th anniversary representing the Navy, the Canadian Forces and citizens of Canada at home and abroad this year. The Stadacona Band will perform their “Memories From The Past”.

Weisner, who is working at the museum this summer under a Canada Summer Jobs federal grant, says the museum has held a fall fundraiser the last few years. Last year they held a comedy night, but decided to try something different this time.

She and Dunham have been canvassing local businesses and individuals to donate items for the silent auction portion of the fundraiser for the past two months and will have more than 100 items for participants to bid on, including several works of art.

Gain experience working with the public

Weisner is going into her second year studying Human Kinetics at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and hopes to become an athletic therapist after she gets her degree, but might explore the option of medical school this year.

She said she took the position at the museum because she wanted to gain more experience working with the public and wanted to learn the business aspects of operating a non-profit organization.

“I learned it takes a lot of people, a lot of patience and a lot of cooperation to make a non-profit organization of this nature run effectively and efficiently,” Weisner said.

While working at the museum, she said she developed many skills, including working with the public, speaking in a professional manner and creating effective business approaches for soliciting donations. She also learned about the publicity aspect of fundraising campaigns.

Dunham, who is at the museum this summer under the Student Career Skills Development provincial grant program, says that although her time at the museum was short, she will take away many skills that will help her in university, her future occupation and with any organization or group she might become part of. She has learned also how crucial deadlines are in order to make any project a success.

Dunham is a second-year student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, taking a Bachelor of Arts with major. She plans on going back for education or business. She is interested in leading programs for youth encouraging a balanced lifestyle, focusing on schoolwork, physical activity, nutrition, self-esteem and leadership.

Community support has significance

“One thing I learned that stands out for me is realizing how significant community support is,” Dunham said. “The reliance the museum and many other non-profit organizations has on community support is huge and whether the contribution be big or small, all of it comes together in the end, making for a wonderful final product that many community members are able to enjoy.”

Weisner said it was difficult at first asking people for donations, but she soon realized how generous and supportive the local business community is, whether in the form of a donation or offering non-profit rates for advertising, for example. She said the experience was a great confidence-builder and something she can always carry with her.

They helped also with the “Whispers From The Past” cemetery tour fundraiser in August, the rug-hooking display in June and several other projects. They were given workshops in interpretation and customer relation skills.

“It wasn’t just working with artifacts or genealogy,” Weisner said. “It was a little bit of everything.”

She said the museum has had to close during the winter months in recent years and she hopes to build community awareness so fundraising efforts take off and operational and maintenance costs don’t keep the doors closed.

Dunham said it was difficult hearing “no” at first, but many businesses came through and wanted to help out. She gained an appreciation also for how hard many people work to help keep the museum going.

“I get excited knowing people still care enough about the museum to help us out,” she said. “Fundraisers help keep it open for people to enjoy.”