Students set bar high for fundraising gala

Local student and her classmates aim for big charity pay-off.

By: Candice Leigh Helfand
   Though many student organizations rely on selling small items, such as magazine subscriptions, to raise funds, there is one class that has set it sights higher.
   Danielle Eige, of Monmouth Junction, is working with classmates in one of her college courses to pull off a serious fundraiser: a full-scale gala to raise money for the American Heart Association. The students are aiming to raise $50,000 through the event.
   The project is run through Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, where she is a senior.
   "It’s a part of a course on business management. It’s a learning project for us. We were assigned to raise money for a charity, but we got to pick which charity, and how we chose to raise the money," Ms. Eige said.
   The gala is set to take place Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. The Snuffy’s Pantagis in Scotch Plains will be hosting the event. It will be black-tie optional.
   A full-course meal with a variety of entrees will be offered to those in attendance. A silent auction that includes items such as 2007 Giants Football Tickets, a Movado watch, and a custom sports jacket, also will take place.
   The Frank Pisani Trio — a jazz band from New York City — will provide live entertainment as well.
   The students had the option of doing any sort of fundraiser they wanted. They decided they wanted to do something on a large scale, larger than a car wash or soliciting patrons with cans, Ms. Eige said.
   "We decided that we wanted to go bigger. We had heard of charity dinners and events, and thought that would be the best way," she said.
   Deciding on a charity was not easy for the class.
   "It was actually hard to choose a charity. Some people wanted a larger one, some people wanted a smaller one," Ms. Eige said.
   In the end, they went with the AHA because a significant part of their funds reach the public.
   The classmates have confirmed approximately 100 guests, and have secured around $10,000. "We have covered our costs so that all money collected now will directly profit the American Heart Association," Ms Eige said in an e-mail.
   "So we are doing well so far, but we are only three weeks out from the event itself," Ms. Eige said.
   Ms. Eige is a Class of 2003 graduate of South Brunswick High School. Aside from her work with the gala project, she is the president of her sorority, Beta Phi Alpha.
   "I’ve gotten to do lots of charity work through that," Ms. Eige said.
   The experience of coordinating the event with her classmates, though, has given her a wealth of knowledge.
   "Since I’m one of the chairs of the project, I think I’ve learned more than I thought I ever could. Organizing the whole thing was a complete learning experience," Ms. Eige said.
   "It’s really exciting to know that I got a lot more out of it than I would have standing in front of a supermarket."
   As far as invitations are concerned, all you need do is ask.
   "We have not formally sent out invitations, because we do not want to strictly target anyone and cut other people off that might be interested," Ms. Eige added. "Everyone is invited and once we know that they are interested, then we will send them an invitation."
   For more information on how you can attend the gala, contact the project’s Director of Special Events Christina Tonzola at (908) 783-4423. Tickets are $100 each, and include your choice of dinner entrée, chicken, prime rib, or salmon, a four-hour open bar and a live jazz band. A silent auction will also take place during the evening. About $4,000 worth of items will be auctioned at that time.