The San Francisco AIDS Dance-A-Thon
Overview
The San Francisco AIDS Dance-A-Thon began in 1987 as a small fundraising for Mobilization Against AIDS. The event has grown annually to include a local community grants program for 17 Bay Area AIDS organizations. In 1998 an estimated 5,500 participants danced and sweated for 12 hours to raise money for the fight against AIDS.
Objective
- Our major challenge was to give the Dance-a-Thon a major face-lift on a very limited budget.
- Our plan for the 1998 San Francisco AIDS Dance-A-Thon was to open up the event to a broader range of individuals to increase participation, while retaining loyal participants.
Solution
- Solicited local vendors to donate space, equipment and an array of other services in exchange for trade-out advertising. Thus cutting the event budget from $650k to just under $175k
- Updated the music genera's an activities to reflect multiple demographics with something for everyone.
- Brought in top International entertainment and an eclectic array of DJ's spinning a variety of music such as house, hip-hop and jungle.
- Implemented an extended school group participation program to increase youth involvement. Incentive was a free afternoon dance party, sponsored by the number one Bay Area hip-hop radio station, at the school that generated the most money.
- Extend the event to a whole week with local club participation leading up to night of the Dance-A-Thon.