thank goodness for the United Way campaign - sorry, the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (affectionately known as the GCWCC). It arrives like clockwork every fall, and is a welcome respite from the work.
This year, I dusted off a campaign I developed back at Public Works, which essentially amounts to an online pet photo contest. Best Costume, Most Likely to Bite, Most Like its Owner, Best Photoshop Job... at five bucks an entry, we generated over $2000 back in 2003. Back then, we couldn't figure out how to charge for voting - this year, we've fixed that.
The GCWCC is a great chance to get together with some enthusiastic, charming people and have a little fun for a good cause. Or, as some people choose to see it, a pain-in-the-ass time of year when your colleagues lose their minds for a few weeks and keep trying to sell you stuff. And that, of course, is the challenge. How do you break through years of chocolate bar and used book sales? And how do you give folks the chance to take part in something that will not only give something back to the community, but often get you terrific exposure to new people and opportunities across the department. I have several friends who have even given years to the regional United Way campaign office through their Loaned Rep program.
Me, I just like to find fun ways to get people away from the bureaucracy for a few happy minutes. And we all know how people love their pets. I'll be pitching the idea at our all-staff meeting next week - my friend Stephane and I are MCing the event, and I'm starting to think about costumes...
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