The Year of Just Do It
Every January, I assign a theme to the new year. I dubbed 2017 “The Year of Self Care”. It included a regular exercise regimen, eliminating (most) junk food, and face masks. Lots and lots of face masks. While I plan to carry this new lifestyle over into the new year, I knew I needed a new mantra. After much soul searching, I finally christened 2018 as “The Year of Just Do It”.
No, I didn’t intentionally rip-off the famous Nike slogan (or the wonderfully strange Shia LaBeouf rant, if you’re an Internet meme fiend like me).
“Just Do It” has far more meaning than pushing yourself to the brink of your physical abilities; it also has to do with pushing yourself in every aspect of life. For me, that includes volunteering more of my time to make my community brighter, more inclusive, and more diverse. Instead of complaining about how bleak things may seem, I have decided to do something. And, based upon the number of people and organizations reaching out to me in my role as Festival Fund administrator for The International Center, hoping to learn more about planning an event in Central Indiana that will increase awareness about the rich cultures and incredible diversity that exists in our community, it seems as if many of you have adopted this mantra as well.
In the past year, we’ve seen a dramatic uptick in the number of nonprofits—many of which are volunteer-led—applying for Festival Fund grants in order to educate fellow Hoosiers about different cultures through food, dance, fashion, crafts, history and more.
In response to the sprouting of new events and the hunger for educational events in our community, we have planned the 2018 Festival Fund Open House with YOU in mind. We’ve asked Cassie Stockamp, president of the Athenaeum Foundation, to discuss cultural event fundraising, and Mark Henderson of the Latvian Community Center to discuss collaborating with other cultural organizations to make your event a success.
During the Open House, you’ll have the opportunity to network with peers striving to make our community a better place and ask Festival Fund administrators (including yours truly) any questions you may have about your application. Best of all, this event is free to the public.
So, my only question to you is “what are you waiting for?!” Just do it! Lay down the groundwork for the cultural event you’ve been dreaming of planning. Or if you’re not quite ready to plan an event of your own, come to the Open House to network with people who may need your expertise to get their event off the ground.
Together, we can make 2018 “The Year of Just Do It”. Register by clicking below.
By Logan Charlesworth, Marketing and Communications Manager
