The Big Chili Needs You

Glover Park's Stoddert Elementary School needs volunteers to help make the annual Big Chili event April 27 a success. Stoddert needs a wide range of assistance — whether you are willing to canvass for silent auction items or roll up your sleeves to set up tables and chairs at the actual event.

Since the 1980s the Stoddert community has been hosting the Big Chili event to raise funds for a variety of needs at the school. In past years funds have gone to extra supplies for teachers and new resources for the library, among other uses.

In its origin the Bid Chili was just a potluck of families on the playground. These days the event has taken place at such notable venues as the Russian and French embassies. The 2013 Big Chili will be at the Josephine Butler House, an historic property which overlooks Meridian Hill Park.

The 2013 Big Chili Chair is Karen Landes. You may reach her at bigchili@stoddert.org.

Here are the ways you can help:

Solicitations

Jason Orlando Co-Chair & Nick Jacobs Co-Chair (Need 7-10 Volunteers to help with solicitations)
• Review Previous Donations
• Brainstorm unusual/high interest donations
• Make donation requests
• Request donations for Swag Bag (Discount coupon, when appropriate)
• Enter donations into Auction Maestro Pro Software (AM PRO)
• Check that all donations forms are complete and follow-up where needed
• Collect donations during Stoddert’s Family Fun Night

Merchandising (2-4 volunteers needed)
• Work with solicitations to ensure complete information on all donor forms.
• Review donations to create theme specific tables (groupings of items)
• Bundle donations as needed.
• Buy appropriate props as needed for high value items.
• Work with set-up committee to make sure all items are placed correctly.

Classroom Project Coordinator (1 Volunteer, Feb)
• Potentially meet with room parents and interested parents to share past projects that generated a lot of interest/bids.
• Explain the process and do general brainstorming.

Set-Up (2-4 Volunteers)
• Set-up donation tables, check-in and check-out tables, etc
Clean-Up (2-4 Volunteers)
• Remove left over donated items and return to Stoddert (or Karen Landes)
• Clean trash and misc.

Check-In (2-4 Volunteers)

• Train on Software /Start checking in at 6:45
• Use AM Pro software for check-in

Check-Out (3-6 Volunteers)

• Train on AM Pro software for Check-out procedures
• Split shifts from 8:30-10:30pm

Donation Tables during Event (Ideally it will be one volunteer per table)
• Keep tables clean of trash, plates, cups,
• Make sure pens are available
• Answer relevant questions about the items or the bidding process
• Close out the table and take bid sheets to check-out

Post Event Item Pick-up/Close outs (1-3 volunteers)
• Work the Stoddert table for people to pick up items before school or after school one or two days after the event.