Uncw Otm Award Community Service Program Night At The Sammy's

OTM Award Month and Year: March 2009 Nominee’s School: UNC Wilmington Region: SAACURH Category: Community Service Program of the Month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Program Title: Night at the Sammy’s - Red Carpet Formal Person in Charge: Formal Dance Committee Nominator: Krystal Rucker Address: 601 S. College Road Address: 601 S. College Road Phone: 336-601-8532 Phone: 336-601-8532 E-Mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------On-Campus Population: 3,100 Chapter Size: 31 Target Population for Program: 100 Attendance: 50 Number of People to Organize: 3 Time Needed to Organize: 3 months Date of Program: March 21, 2009 Cost of Program: $1,358.70 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Program Description: Night at the Sammy’s Red Carpet Formal was held on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 9pm in the Suites Services Building. This program was made possible by the collaboration of campus Area Chapters, the Residence Hall Association and the Formal Dance Committee of UNCW. This program was designed to provide entertainment for UNCW students through a night of dancing, an array of food, music, and fun contests. Night at the Sammy’s was also a canned food drive, which collected and donated a total of 235 canned foods. On the evening of Saturday, March 21, 2009, UNCW students began to arrive at the Suites Services building for Night at the Sammy’s. Dressed in beautiful prom gowns and stunning tuxedos, the students were greeted by the Formal Dance Committee at the sign in table. After signing in, attendees had the opportunity to walk the Red Carpet while being photographed by paparazzi and interviewed by TealTV (UNCW campus media) As students entered the dance, attendees couldn’t help but feel as though they were a Hollywood star at The Grammy’s. The sounds of popular music streaming from the Disc Jockey’s PA system, the dance floor filled with other glamorous guest and the sweet aroma aerating from the chocolate fondue table, all helped to tie in the Hollywood, Red Carpet theme of Night at the Sammy’s. Attendees had many opportunities to win prizes at the dance. Every attendee was eligible

to win one of the six door prizes that were raffled off throughout the night. These prizes included 2 Grammy Nomination CDs, three popular movie musicals, and one $15 ITunes gift card. A portable GPS navigation system and a 22 inch flat screen TV was awarded to the winners of the Look-A-Like contest and the canned food drive contest. At the end of the dance, the Night at the Sammy’s King and Queen were announced. All of the attendees of the dance voted for king and queen and the individuals with the most votes received a Sammy, or a hand-sculpted statue of Sammy Seahawk. The morning after the dance, attendees were encouraged to visit the Facebook event page for Night at the Sammy’s where all of the paparazzi photos were posted. Attendees had the opportunity to print, tag or save their photos from there. All of the TealTV interviews from the Red Carpet are set to air on Channel 77 in early April. Word count: 398 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Program Origin: Night at the Sammy’s originated from the UNCW traditional Snowball formal dance. This year, the Formal Dance Committee decided to build on the tradition and develop a more glamorous atmosphere for those who attended. The original tradition began 3 years ago, and it has grown into a successful program which brings out a variety of students interested in formals. We decided to take this tradition and run with it this year by offering a variety of new opportunities for the residents. The Residence Hall Association and the Area Chapters have always served as great support and resources. Word count: 97 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Goals of Program: The goal of Night at the Sammy’s was to provide entertainment for UNCW students and a service to the community. In doing so, all attendees had the opportunity to make a difference and contribute to those in need of food in Wilmington and surrounding areas. That was where the community service aspect came into play. The Area Chapters and the Formal Dance Committee really wanted to collect a great deal of canned food items to donate to those in need. We also wanted to create a fun environment for the students living on-campus. Word count: 93 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Positive and Lasting Effects of Program:

As a result of the Night at the Sammy’s, 235 canned foods were donated to Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, a local food pantry that provides healthful, wholesome foods to those in need. The Formal Dance Committee received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from those who attended the event. The committee hopes Night at the Sammy’s will become an annual program that is looked forward to by students every year. The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) has made efforts in creating traditions for the campus community. We are happy to say that this tradition will be continuing at UNCW for years to come. Word count: 103 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Short Evaluation of Program: Based on the large turn out and the amount of excitement that was generated and experienced at Night at the Sammy’s we, as the Formal Dance Committee, are proud to have exceeded any expectations we had for the dance. We defined success by the response from the people in whom we planned, organized and facilitated the dance for the students of UNCW. Based on the amount of positive feedback we received by those students, we feel confident in saying Night at the Sammy’s - Red Carpet Formal was truly a success. Our committee also felt we made a successful impact on the local community by donating the canned food items. It is always a great idea to create a social program and have a community service twist. Word count: 126 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How Could the Program Be Adapted to Other Campuses? Night at the Sammy’s can be easily adapted to other campuses. First, form a committee that will be responsible for the majority of the planning and organizing. Utilize on campus resources and acquire financial and moral support from other organizations. Research various off campus community service organizations that need assistance and determine how to help. Assemble a large team of volunteers to help decorate, advertise and facilitate the event and contact campus media resources for additional support. Then, decorate, celebrate, donate and enjoy the dance! And make sure to reserve a space that is able to accommodate the students. This will be different for various universities, depending on your campus community size. Word count: 112