Kentucky Derby Day Party Fundraiser

Date: Saturday May 4, 2024, 12:00pm-4pm
Venue: Dothan Area Botanical Gardens
Theme: WAPHC’s Inaugural Kentucky Derby Day-Party

Our 8 Pan Hellenic Council member organizations joined to raise funds to be used towards scholarships, awards, school supplies, and for future collaborations with various local community organizations. Approximately 40 WAPHC Members were present: AKAs – 14, Alphas – 2, Deltas – 11, Zetas – Beta Upsilon Zeta Chapter – 9, Zetas – Chi Upsilon Zeta Chapter – 0, Kappas – 1, Sigmas – 1, Omegas –2.

Funds were raised via donations of any amount as well as donations at $50 per ticket for admission and opportunities for sponsorships at various jockey named levels. Persons also donated items for auction and therefore more funds were raised via silent auction. Donations were accepted via cash, check made payable to WAPHC, via CashApp at $WAPHC. If guests wanted to donate or obtain tickets online, then they were directed to www.waphc.info where the tickets were $55 due to processing fees. Not all donors attended the event. ~ $5,001.90 – Monies/Donations are still coming in.

The Jockey level donors of funds were provided by the following:
SECRETARIAT LEVEL SPONSORS: $1000+ donation.
(8 tickets and featured on all social media)
• Mackroyce Corbitt, Jr. Computer Printing Etc., Alpha Phi Alpha
• JC McCleod, MD Psychiatric, Alpha Kappa Alpha
CHURCHILL DOWNS SPONSORS: $200 donation. (2 tickets and listed on website)
• Mr. Jerry Hollins, Kappa Alpha Psi
• Mr. Larry and Mrs. Eva Matthews, Esq., Dothan, AL
• Mr. Renardo and Mrs. Vanessa Dickens Gadie, Dothan, AL

PREAKNESS STAKES SPONSORS: $100 donation. (Listed on website)
• Shawanda Harris Vickers, Alpha Kappa Alpha
• Yolanda Greenwood, Southeast Alabama Keller Williams Realty, Dothan, AL
• Cookie’s Cafe, Dothan, AL

The Jockey level donors of auction items were provided by the following:
SECRETARIAT LEVEL DONORS OF AUCTION ITEMS: (Featured on all social media)
• Shoo Cosmetics, Inc.
• House of Hats, Ozark
• Ruby’s, Abbeville, AL
• Mrs. Eva Matthews, Esq., Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dothan, AL
• Mahogany Storm
• Joannie Gutzmore, Mary Kay Consultant, Abbeville, AL
• Mrs. Ann Shakespeare, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dothan, AL
• Mr. Phil Mitchell, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
• Mr. Eric Matthews & his brother, Mr. Thomas Matthews, Dothan, AL

The Jockey level donors of giveaway supplies were provided by the following:
OTHER DONORS: (Featured on all social media)
•Prizes for Best Outfits from Joanie Gutzmore, Independent Consultant, Mary Kay Cosmetics
•Give away items from SpectraCare Health Systems, Pamela Mosely, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dothan, AL
•Give away items from Auburn COACH Center for Opioid Research Education & Outreach

WINNERS OF THE SILENT AUCTION ITEMS:
1. Set of four classic Kentucky Derby silver mint julep cups and straws – Mr. Tony Orr
2. Set of four classic Kentucky Derby silver mint julep cups and straws – Mrs. Leticia Smith
3. 1 btl. of 1856 Uncle Nearest 100% Proof Tennessee Premium Whiskey (Honors world’s 1st known Afr. Am. master distiller) – Jerlyn C. McCleod, MD
4. 1 btl. of 1884 Uncle Nearest 93% Proof Tennessee Premium Whiskey (Honors world’s 1st known Afr. Am. master distiller) – Dr. Erica Hall
5. Three-piece Gold Crystal Lotus Candle Set – Ms. Shakuntala Ingram
6. Kentucky Derby themed Shoo Box featuring Aristides from Shoo Cosmetics, Inc. – Ms. Beverly Lampkin
7. Hats from House of Hats, Ozark – Yellow Hat – Ms. Beverly Lampkin,
8. AKA Hat – Ms. Beverly Lampkin
9. ZPhiB Hat – Ms. Shakuntala Ingram
10. DST Hat – Mrs. Fran Garza
11. OES Hat – Dr. Erica Hall
12. Gift certificate for lunch or dinner for two from Ruby’s Soul Food Restaurant, Abbeville, AL – Ms. Beverly Lampkin
13. Gormia Digital Air Fryer Oven – Mr. Enrico Leak
14. One Mary Kay Gift Certificate from Joanie Gutzmore – Mrs. Sharon Kelley

WINNERS OF THE BEST DERBY-DAY OUTFITS:
Gentleman: Mr. George Franklin
Gentlelady: Mrs. Vivian Daniels

WINNERS OF THE 2024 KENTUCKY DERBY:
Winner: Mystic Dan
Runner Up: Sierra Leone
3rd Place: Forever Young

There was economic building, support, promotion and awareness of small businesses, black-owned businesses, women owned businesses, family owned businesses, and non-profit organizations as follows: Use of the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens (Nonprofit Agency), Southern Hospitality Wedding & Event Planning, Breakfast at Tammie’s, DJ Hollywood, Selena Dothard, ordering the souvenir bags through CPE – Computer Printing Etc. as well as sharing a future discount cards as a portion of the ticket. All business sponsors that fit in these categories were promoted and featured on all of
our social media for months.

May Mental Health Awareness Month: Items from SpectraCare Health Systems, c/o Pamela Mosely, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dothan, AL and items from Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic as well as items from Auburn COACH Center for Opioid Research Education & Outreach c/o Jerlyn C. McCleod, MD Alpha Kappa Alpha, Dothan, AL were distributed to guests in every souvenir bag.

The event was promoted by word of mouth, church announcements, email, social media via Facebook boosts, Instagram, www.waphc.info, and via GroupMe. It was shared with Deborah Pearson on WOOF Radio station. It was promoted on television through Live at Lunch on WTVY News 4 with Delta Sigma Theta member and FAMU graduate, News 4 Anchor, Beyla Walker.

The social media hashtags were: #WAPHCKentuckyDerbyDayParty #WAPHCDerbyDayParty #WAPHCKentuckyDerbyDay
#WAPHCDerbyDay #DerbyDayParty #KentuckyDerbyDayParty #WAPHC #WANPHC #Divine9.

The Budget was – $10,000 or less:
Tickets/Flyers – Guests Souvenir Bags – CPE – Computer Printing Etc. – $353.40. (A Sponsor covered $200 for the bags) = $153.40.
Venue – Dothan Area Botanical Gardens $1,000 +$300 Refundable Security (A Sponsor covered $800 and $300 is due back in security) = $200.
Decorator – Southern Hospitality $2400.
Caterer – Breakfast at Tammie’s – $1500.
D/J – DJ Hollywood – $450.
Bartender – Selena Dothard – $225. A Sponsor covered $133.38+170.24 = $303.62 in beer, wine, and champagne.
Ads/Promotions – Facebook Marketing – 3 Flyer Boosts at $50 for two and $30.00 for the other = $130.00 (1650 people reached from 4/23/24-
5/03/24 & 1,938 people reached 3/27/24-4/1/24, & 1,272 people reached 2/29/24-3/5/24).
AV projector and stand – $200 (A Sponsor covered $200).
Prizes for Best Outfits – $50 each (A Sponsor covered $100).
Total Expenses = $5,058.40 + Sponsors (mostly committee members) saved the WAPHC treasury an additional $1,603.62

Funds were raised via paper tickets sold by WAPHC members and via on-line ticket sales through Computer Printing Etc. Project A+ approximately $40 was sent in as donations+ $760 was raised in the silent auction = about $5,001.90 – Monies/Donations are still coming in.

Thank you WANPHC, especially to the members of this committee who did so many things along the way even up until the morning of to make this event come off as we envisioned. We all recall that we started this endeavor because we wanted to have a way to independently fund more for our wiregrass children such as clear backpacks, school supplies as well as other things like scholarships, etc., without having to immediately go to our chapters or go back at the last minute to come up with enough funds. We agreed that the WAPHC as an organization was in dire need of its own “fundraisers” and ones
with community crossover appeal. We came up with a gala-like affair and a Spades tournament. We may recall that Soror Erica and I immediately began planning and promoting the Kentucky Derby themed Day-Party event back in May of 2023 keeping in mind the need to plan around each organization’s signature annual fundraisers, the holidays, Founders’ Day celebrations, our own Color Purple Movie Day, our own MLK Day Step Show, everyone’s regional conferences, spring break, all scholarship programs, and graduations in order not to compete. The Kentucky Derby has been on the same day
every year for 150 years per the Churchill Downs. I am so proud of how it turned out. I hope that you are too. The Derby Day-Party was meant to be a fundraiser. We also got the bonus of providing opportunities for so many businesses by showcasing them in action and allow them to be seen serving a great cause with us. That positivity in itself was priceless.
Thanks again to Dr. Erica Hall for your initial vision of a Derby Party in Dothan, AL and for trusting me to chair this undertaking.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Hall for being an awesome President, and for leading us through another successful project! Let us continue to do whatever it takes to make the Wiregrass Area Pan-Hellenic Council a successful organization!

Sisterly,
Dr. Jerlyn McCleod