The question is considered by most professionals volunteering to take a lead role in a community event: Can I juggle it all?
When the event attracts hundreds of attendees, demands hundreds of hours of time and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars, the pressures might elicit a “No, thanks.”
Beckie Collins said “yes” to American Cancer Society officials’ invitation as chairwoman of the annual Cattle Baron’s Ball.
She had familiarity with the ball since its 2009 inception in southwest Missouri and had risen up the ranks as a volunteer coordinator for her employer, The Larson Group, to logistics chairwoman for the budding event the next two years. Then, she was hit with the big question by ACS event organizer Mary Valloni and the 2011 event co-chairwoman Vickie Hayward: Would you serve as 2012 event chair?
You might relate. There seems to be a fundraising event every weekend in town, and don’t you know, someone’s spearheading it behind the scenes.
After Collins’ first reaction – “Girls, I don’t really think this is a good idea” – she came around to the role. “Once I got over the initial shock and being scared of the time commitment, I’ve looked at it as an opportunity to show my ideas and the spin I want to put on the event,” says Collins, who follows in the footsteps of Kim Inman of the Springfield Cardinals, David and Karen Martin of Murney Associates, and Larry and Vickie Hayward of presenting sponsor Price Cutter.
Collins works as director of marketing and recruiting for The Larson Group, which comprises 10 Peterbilt and five John Deere dealerships. She handles marketing and sales plans, advertising budgets, organizes and plans group ads, and builds and designs ads and artwork for print ads and billboards. She also wears a human resources hat, helping with staff recruitment, running hiring ads and filtering résumés for department managers. Regional career fairs are on her calendar in the spring, too.
Let’s just say she wasn’t in the market for another commitment. After all, Collins also is the wife of an attorney, Cory, and mother of a young child.
The key for her to juggling it all: a very detailed daily schedule, and she recommends other busy professionals involved in nonprofit work do the same. “Sit down and evaluate your time with work, with volunteering and with your family,” Collins says. “It’s very important to figure out the calculation of balance.”
Her days start at 6:30 a.m., and the phone is definitely turned off. “I put on a mom hat and cater to everything he needs,” she says.
After dropping off her child with Collins’ mother, she leaves for work at 7:45 a.m. “Because of my mother and my husband, I am able to put on a work hat,” Collins says.
Until noon, Collins says it’s Larson Group time. “Now, I’ll take a few (ACS) phone calls from Mary. She’s really good to keep it brief,” Collins says.
She does give her lunch hours to Cattle Baron’s work. After that, it’s back to the Larson Group until she picks up her child at 5:30 p.m. to return to her role as a mom and wife.
“It has to go like this, otherwise my whole world will fall apart,” Collins says, laughing. “The only way I can keep this boat floating is to be organized.”
For Ron and Ginni Hawley, the demands are less on their time and more on their relationships. The area president of Regions Bank and his wife were appointed this year to a newly created position of co-chairpersons of the Executive Baron’s committee. The group serves as the event’s advisers and lead fundraisers. For instance, roughly 70 percent of proceeds from the Cattle Baron’s Ball can be traced back to the executive committee, and each member is responsible to raise $10,000.
Ron Hawley says he puts pressure on his peers to donate – sometimes tacked on to business calls – because of the medicinal advances he’s seen in cancer treatment during the years.
“It comes back to you. What if a breakthrough is made in Kansas City, St. Louis or Mayo Clinic? The medicine will come back,” he says, comparing cancer research to the polio vaccines discovered in the 1950s. “It’s not like they’re going to keep it.”
According to the ACS operating formula, 30 percent of funds raised are spent in research.
Hawley admits when first approached about getting involved, he wondered, “Does it really make a difference?”
But his wife’s involvement in the Junior Cattle Baron’s Ball, for children and their families battling cancer, and the notable commitment by ACS staff members won him over.
“Cancer is still a word that gives a visceral reaction. It’s a way to link what I do for a living and help with the cause.”
As for me and my role as publicity chairman for the Cattle Baron’s Ball, this year will be my last. In step with the code of ethics by the Society of Professional Journalists, I must move on to another nonprofit. The Act Independently section says to “shun … service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.” While I don’t think involvement compromises our ethics, I personally interpret it to mean I should vary my service. As editor of Springfield Business Journal, I don’t want to forsake a community role, it’s just time I choose another organization.
But first, we’ll put forward a good effort for the 2012 event, scheduled for Aug. 18 at the Darr Agricultural Center. The goals to top: 1,000 attendees and $715,000 raised. Giddyap.
Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.[[In-content Ad]]
