Organising Fundraising Events the PHBGTU way - by Liz Offner

The last 5 months have been a blur. It feels like just yesterday that I was at home, in Kamala, working with the Foundation. But I’d be lying if I called it work – if things ever got too chaotic in the office, we’d march on down to Coconut Club: a place where it’s guaranteed you’ll leave with glitter in your hair, stickers on your arms and a smile on your face.

My responsibilities as Office Fellow were often related to funding. If there was an event to plan, I wanted in! I also managed our Sponsor a Child and Sponsor a Class programmes and assisted our amazing office team with other funding efforts. I truly loved every second of it, knowing everything we did was in support of our students’ education.

That being said, I am quite shocked that I am writing about this year’s Bliss Beach Club fundraising event… simply because I cannot understand how a full year has flown by since the last one! Last year’s theme for Bliss was Miami Beach Party. How an American girl traveled all the way to Thailand and ends up involved in an American-inspired fundraising event, I’m not sure. But however it happened, it was fate. It was during the planning of this event that I found my purpose. And now I’m pursuing a career in non-profit fundraising!

Bliss Beach Club embodied the personality of Miami beautifully. Everywhere you turned, you saw bright colors, jaw-dropping fashion and extraordinary entertainment.  It was such a fun event to plan and see come to life! That’s why I’m super excited to see the final product of Pop Up at Bliss! So many noteworthy vendors are participating from all over the island… it’s a great way to experience the best food, drink, music and entertainment Phuket has to offer.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being part of the incredible events held by the Foundation, it’s this. A successful fundraising event has a million moving parts but it relies on one simple thing – support. The magic happens when our incredible volunteers, our board, the many sponsors and community join together with the same mission. And what’s more important than securing our students’ futures?

Keep your eye on the Facebook page for any updates that may “pop up” about the Bliss event! If I weren’t 14,500 km away, I’d most certainly be in attendance. (But let’s be honest… if I weren’t 14,500 km away, I’d be there now!)