I am an absolute pro at planning Christmas parties. But not just any kind of Christmas party, the kind that make money for nonprofits. For about a dozen years, I planned and executed O Christmas Tea through the Business Women of Fayette and Coweta, raising over a quarter of a million dollars for causes that benefit women and children.
The pandemic ate my great event, but this year I had a shot at resurrection, because the Rotary Club of Peachtree City put me in charge of their annual holiday party, which I promptly named Joy to the World. And as of this writing, that party is tomorrow.
What makes a great party with a purpose? First, a cause we can get behind. For the first eight or so years of O Christmas Tea, we benefited a shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence. This year’s Rotary party benefits the Rotary Foundation’s water project in Kenya that will build reservoirs for villages with no running water. Local leaders can get behind good causes like that.
Second, entertainment that surprises and delights. Each year at O Christmas Tea we were always looking for something extraordinary to bring the holiday spirit. We often had carolers from Masterworks Chorale in Newnan. And each year starting a few years in, dancers from Peachtree City School of Dance would do scenes from the Nutcracker.
It was to my delight that this year, PTC School of Dance sent their whole senior company of the Peachtree City Civic Ballet for our Rotarians.
My favorite husband Matt White is a professional jazz guitarist, and he has played holiday favorites for O Christmas Tea, and now Joy to the World since the beginning.
The third thing that makes a great party with a purpose are games that are not only fun, but also that raise additional funds for the cause. These revenue enhancers include a signature cocktail that comes with a drawing, a Tree of Cheer game, where winners get about 18 bottles of spirits to take home with them, and a Wrapped in Mystery game where every box holds a prize, but one or more boxes has a grand prize in it.
Bringing the community together is important, but I’d also like to highlight some of the businesses who donated to our drawings and causes including restaurants like The Beirut, Elliott’s, Pascal’s Bistro, Due South and Your Pie. And those that donated big items like Jennifer Lunsford, Senior Benefits Advisor and Kathy Halpin of BeneTrend. Jill Price of Priced Right Cleaning even put a house cleaning as a prize—and who wouldn’t want that this time of year?! A few of our Rotarians made baskets too, like Mandy Timmons and Amy Benton.
It’s also been great how are civic organizations work together. Almost all of the alcohol for the Tree of Cheer game at Rotary was donated by the Business Women of Fayette and Coweta. That’s valued at over $1300.
The fourth and essential thing to creating a party with a purpose is having a great team. I had a committee of dedicated volunteers for all my O Christmas Teas, after the first one that I did myself. And I had a great team of Rotarians who executed this holiday party, Co-chairs Amy Leuenberger and Gail McBride-Vest, Alexa Ellis, Paige Potter, Jennifer Lunsford and Kathy Halpin. I also had a leader in our Rotary President Patti Kadkhodaian who put everything together for our grant and advocated for our team. I could not do all the things alone, and no one should try.
When we all work together in this community, we make a big difference. That’s the kind of party I like to throw. Not just appetizers, dinner and dancing, but impact, community-building and joy around the world. For me, that’s the true spirit of Christmas.
