Requests for event sponsorship come to us on a daily basis, and I'm proud to say that our typical response is No. And while you may be thinking, why is she proud to say that? Isn't that kind of harsh? Well, here's why it is not. While we rarely agree to sponsor events for local barrel clubs or associations, we gladly sponsor events whose proceeds go towards charitable causes. And when I say proceeds, I mean 100% of the proceeds go towards the charity. Not 80% into the producers pocket, and 20% to support the charity.
Several years ago, after trying to decide which associations and events to sponsor, we came to the decision to focus our sponsorship efforts towards events that are raising money for a cause. As ideal as it would be to say yes to everyone, it's just not a feasible solution. That's not to say that we don't partner with "for profit" events giving occasional discounts in exchange for advertising, etc... but the majority of our contributions are targeted towards charities.
Over the years I have been on all sides of this situation. I've been the producer of a "for profit" event, gaining sponsors for saddles and horse trailers we gave away. I've produced events for charity, with over $24,000 raised towards a cause in a single day. I've been the competitor and I've been the sponsor. I can appreciate the amount of work it takes to coordinate these events, and I know it is a thankless job that doesn't always work out. Many producers walk away from their "for profit" events not making a dime, and in this tough economy gaining any sponsor is a challenge. That being said, I still stand by our decision here at Heritage Brand to focus our Sponsorship dollars towards events that are 100% for charity.
Heritage Brand has sponsored numerous charitable events, including scholarship fundraisers, benefits for individuals with illnesses, the Justin Crisis Fund Fundraisers, and so many more I could not even begin to list them. This year, one of the major events we are again sponsoring is the Tough Enough To Wear Pink race July 21, 2012 in Aurora, OR. Those in the Northwest will surely remember this event from 2010, where the DuPont's put on a huge one-day barrel race at their beautiful facility, raising over $15,000 in one day! If that inaugural event is any indication, this year's race will surely be even bigger and more successful, and we are proud to be a part of it.
So the next time you fill out our Sponsorship Request form, I hope that you have a better idea where we are coming from when we say Yes... or No, to your request. As much as we would like to sponsor every event, and put money in the pocket of all producers, we are passionate about helping raise funds that will go to help the people that really need them.
Until next time ~ Jess