The event proposal summarizes plans for the Atlanta Hospital's first annual fundraising gala called "The Giving Tree: Loving, Giving, and Receiving". The gala will be held on April 18, 2015 at the Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta Hotel and will include a silent auction, dinner, and a 15-minute play based on the children's book "The Giving Tree" narrated by Oprah Winfrey. The goal is to raise funds to build a new $100 million hospital in downtown Atlanta to provide care for uninsured patients. Guests will experience the theme of giving through decorations, menu items, and a focus on patient stories.

1. EVENT PROPOSAL
Wilneka Harris & Company
Saturday, April, 18, 2015
7:00pm Silent Auction
8:00pm Dinner

2. And the tree was happy!
*Tentative, I will be glad to make the necessary changes per your request, the client
Message
The event theme is based off the children's book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silerstein. Since the
Atlanta Hospital is moving to new heights and wanting to improve the health system one hospital
at a time, the first annul fundraising gala will be called The Giving Tree: loving, giving, and
receiving. "The Giving Tree" follows the life of a female apple tree and a boy who are able to
communicate with each other. In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing
her trunk, swinging from her branches, and eating her apples. However, as time passes, he starts
to make requests from the tree. After entering adolescence, the boy wants money. The tree
suggests that he pick and sell her apples, which he does. After reaching adulthood, the boy wants
a house. The tree suggests he cut her branches to build a house, which he does. After reaching
middle age, the boy wants a boat. The tree suggests he cut her trunk to make a boat, which he
does, leaving only a stump left of the tree. The boy, now a shriveled old man, wants only a quiet
place to sit and rest, which the stump provides. The story ends with the sentence "And the tree
was happy." The theme supports the Atlanta Hospital message by showcasing a happy giving
spirit. The apple tree selfishly gives the boy what he needs and does it with a happy attitude. The
mission of Atlanta Hospital is to support the community in a pay what you can hospital. Their
success is not only dependent on the staff working smarter, but also on the supporters
unwavering belief in the mission. Focusing on the message of a giving spirit will allow current
and new donors to give without selfishness and give with a cheerful heart.
Guest Experience:
 Loving- The overall flow of the room will be pictures of patients, current donors, and
testimonies hanging from trees throughout the venue, the cocktail area and the ballroom.

3.  Giving- attendees will have the opportunity to give donations through the silent auction
from 7:00pm-8:00pm during the cocktail hour and the live auction at dinner time.
Inspiring and uplifting music will be played during the cocktail hour by a string quartet
band. (2 hour booking, the first hour is during the cocktail reception and the second half
will be during dinner time).
 Receiving- attendees will receive a special presentation before dinner time. There will be
a 15 minute play reenacting "The Giving Tree" and Oprah Winfrey will be the narrator of
the play. The actors in the play will come from a local Atlanta theatre, Horizon Theatre
Company.
 Appreciation- as a thank you to your guest, they will receive party favors that tie in the
message. They will go home with a tree they can plant in a pot. Some of the trees will
have gift cards hidden in them as well. The tree favors will also be a part of the table
decorations. They will be placed on each guest's plate. Guest will also receive a special
selection where Oprah Winfrey will be a surprise guest.
Party favors
Speaker order and roles: Timing 30 minutes
 Dr. John Telluride- (CEO) will walk up on stage and give the welcome remarks and the
history of Atlanta Hospital and speak about the future of Atlanta Hospital (building a
$100 million hospital in the center of Atlanta). He will thank everyone one for coming
out and will recognize Dr. Sheila Allgood, Dr. Ryan Bold, and The Honorable Katelyn
Wesson and have each one stand up and give his appreciation for their hard work and
dedication. Dr. Telluride will give a special thanks to Gouthan Hanes for his donation of
a multi-million dollar gift. (Spoke with Mr. Hanes and he is okay if we mention his gift
amount). Mr. Hanes will walk on stage and will receive the dedication of the Atlanta
Hospital garden in honor of him. The garden will include planted apple trees that will be
sold in local Atlanta markets and all the proceeds will benefit Atlanta Hospital.
 "Bouncy" Mayfield- (make it happen) will speak after Dr. John Telluride and he will
share his story and how he became a donor of Atlanta Hospital. His great grandmother,
Victoria Cane, was a patient who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Victoria did
not have insurance and was unable to pay until she was treated at Atlanta Hospital. At the

4. time, Atlanta Hospital was serving the Atlanta community at small clinics throughout the
city. Victoria is no longer here, but the impact Atlanta Hospital left on her and his family
made him become a lifelong donor of the hospital. He will express the importance for
everyone to give with an open heart like the apple tree in "The Giving Tree". He will
encourage all the stakeholders attending to give with a cheerful heart and to make a
difference in the Atlanta community. Bouncy wants Victoria's dream to come true to and
see a solution for health care for everyone.
 Committee members and department heads- (the impact) all will walk up on the stage,
each with a note card in their hand. They will each read a short letter from past patients
expressing their gratitude and testimonies of how the community helped impact their
lives. Each person will speak for a minute long. There are 7 people total and the segment
will last 7-10 minutes long. During this segment, there will be a projected screen of
pictures that represent the Atlanta Hospital and the patients they've helped.
 Joseph and Mary Jane Elliot- will host the live auction. They will encourage guest to bid
on fun getaways and to remind them that all the proceeds will go towards Atlanta
Hospital new $100 million building.
Stakeholders
To compile a guest list, we will write a list of who needs to be there, who do you really
want there, and who can help during the event. Once we gather the list of attendees, we
will format our guest in a spreadsheet and list certain dietary restrictions and
accommodations that each guest might have. The major stakeholders will include:
 current donors ("Bouncy" Mayfield, family members of patients)
 media (contacted Channel 2 Action News)
 potential donors (community members)
 board members
 non donors (other)
 community leaders
 special guest (Oprah Winfrey, will be a surprise guest to attendees)
 staff of Atlanta Hospital (physicians)
 Churches that cater to the Atlanta poor community
 Women/men shelter companies
To get the stakeholders to attend, a patron letter will go out the first week in January (Event will
be held Saturday, April 18, 2015) to current and potential donors, community leaders and board
members, the invitations will follow afterwards. We will also create a fundraising event website
where Atlanta Hospital can share its mission, details of fundraising gala, which will include
theme, date, location, directions, entertainment, and prizes to invited guest. The invitations being
mailed out will include a special guest appearance as part of the entertainment for the night in the

5. body. A press release will also be released so the media can generate buzz and people who are
not attending the fundraising gala can still donate to Atlanta Hospital. On the Atlanta Hospital
social media sites, there will be online conversations about the event. We will also have a silent
auction and live auction with great prizes from the New York experience trips, to renowned
Chef, Wolf Gang Puck cooking at someone's home.
Press release to be released:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kerry Washington
Atlanta Hospital
555-595-0164
It’s Atlanta Hospital 1st Annual, The Giving Tree Fundraiser
Atlanta, GA September 28, 2014 - Atlanta Hospital will host its first annual fundraising
gala, the The Giving Tree: Love, Giving and Receiving on Saturday, April 15, 2015, from 7-
10pm at Sonesta Gwinnet Atlanta Hotel. Proceeds will be used to help build the $100
million hospital center in downtown Atlanta.
The program focuses on the comprehensive medical, physical, emotional, and spiritual
needs of patients and their families through our greatest need, care for all patients
regardless of their ability to pay. Many of our patients are uninsured and are coping
with the overwhelming diagnosis and require the same care as a patient who has
coverage. Community involvement, sponsorship, and attending the The Giving Tree gala
will assist Atlanta Hospital in providing care for the city's poor in their own facility.
An evening of elegant fun with a silent and live auction and a surprise presentation will
allow guest to participate and enjoy the venue at Sonesta Gwinnet Atlanta Hotel. The
Giving Tree gala will include a cocktail reeptionen, silent and live auction, a sit down
dinner and a surprise presentation.
To become a sponsor or donate to the silent and live auction for The Giving Tree, please
visit www.givingtree.org or call 555-595-0164.

6. For more information on The Giving Tree gala or Atlanta Hospital, please visit
www.atlantahospital.org.
About Atlanta Hospital
Founded in 2009, Atlanta Hospital is Georgia's largest nonprofit provider of healthcare
for the city's poor. Its mission is to improve the lives of more than 22,000 patients and
their families served annually. In the past, they have operated out of small clinic
locations. Thanks to the support of generous area philanthropists, city, country and
state grants, and a special endowment from the National Institute for Indigent Care,
Atlanta Hospital is able to provide compassionate, quality care to all of its patients
regardless of diagnosis or ability to pay. For additional information, please visit
www.atlantahospital.org.
###
Event invitation center panel:
Atlanta Hospital
request the pleasure of your company at
The
GIVING
Tree
A celebration of loving, giving and receiving
Master of Ceremonies
"Bouncy" Mayfield, former Boxer
Enjoy an evening to support patient care and honor our hospital staff and volunteers
Saturday, April 18, 2015
7pm Reception and Silent Auction
8pm Dinner
Sonesta Gwinnet Place Atlanta
1775 Pleasant Hill Road
Duluth, GA 30096
Cocktail Attire
Complimentary Valet Parking

7. Finances
Event budget: look at page x
The greatest vulnerabilities in the event budget include the audio, enhanced lighting, plated
meals, and center pieces. Each element helps tie back to the theme "the Giving Tree: Loving,
Giving and Receiving ". The audio will be used to enhance the sound and help the attendees hear
the surprise play that will be narrated by Oprah Winfrey (special "extra" something).Without the
proper audio, the play will not have a great impact and give that element of surprise. The
enhanced lighting also, helps give the flow of the theme. Throughout the room will be tree gobos
to represent the apple tree and how she continued to give to the boy with a happy heart. Every
time a stakeholder looks at the tree gobos around the room, they think of the selfless giving spirit
that the apple tree carried and they too will want to give to the Atlanta Hospital. The plated food
and passed hors d'oeuvres will also tie back into the message by incorporating apple food into
the menu. The center pieces are also a vulnerability to the budget because having a 360 view
makes it a little more expensive than the small center pieces. Having tall tree center pieces helps
enhance the overall theme and gives the room a visual appeal. If we are unable to have a 360
view center piece there are options to go with a smaller center piece and still have an impression.
As your event planner, I will have 3-4 options for you to pick from and we can see what option
fits best with the budget and theme.
If the fundraising gala had a budget of $200,000, I would use telegrams as invitations. Everyone
will receive a singing telegram with a choir singing Seasons of Love. Another option would be
while the 303 guest just sat down for dinner and after they have received their salads from the
waiters, a choir floods the room singing Seasons of Love. There will be gobos of the words
surrounding the walls of the room. Both of these ideas help magnify the message because the
song is about love and remembering.
With a $50,000 budget, I would have the event during the hours of 2pm-4pm at the CEO home.
Having the fundraising event during that time will give the opportunity to only serve passed hors
d'oeuvres.
Environment
The guest will turn into the hotel entrance and pull up at the turn around for the valet parking.
There, they will be get led into the hotel through the lobby. Each step, they will be greeted by a
hospital volunteer welcoming them to the event. There will be a wrought iron easel at the

8. cocktail entrance with Atlanta Hospital logo on it. Guest will enter the cocktail reception with a
quarter band playing uplifting and inspiration music and there will be two volunteers greeting
them as they enter through the doors at the registration table. Guest will check in and the table
host and people sitting at the head tables will get the numbers to their seats, which will be
reserved. On the side of the doors will be tall potted ficus with twinkle lights on each side. The
potted ficus will represent "The Giving Tree" theme. The cocktail reception will be located right
outside the dinner room doors. The cocktail reception is a long wide "hallway" like location that
has wide windows that look out into the hotel garden. There will also be 6 tall trees throughout
the cocktail reception that hangs testimonies of patients so attendees can read and share other's
stories and pledges people want to give for the Atlanta Hospital. There will be 8 six-foot length
tables spaced out in the "hallway" that will include the silent auction pieces for guest to bid on
while mingling. For the cocktail reception, there will be 6 high boys. Each high boy will have an
apple candle in the middle. This will help bring out the message of the giving tree and how the
apple tree happily gave the boy her apples to make money. There will also be an open bar section
in between the double doors that lead to the ballroom. The open bar will stay open for an hour.
The open bar will close at the start of the program. The cocktail reception will last from 7pm-
8pm and dinner will start at 8pm. The doors of the ballroom will open up and guest will walk
into a room filled with twinkling lights and trees gobos surrounding the walls of the room. The
ambiance of the tall tree center pieces will enhance the look of the room and their tree favors will
bring excitement. The people sitting at the head tables (only 2 head tables) will already have
their reserved seating and the rest of the guest can fill where ever they choose. The ballroom
seating will have 38 tables total.
High boy centerpieces
Table center pieces

9. Table setting for 38 tables
The room selection from the Sonesta Hotel is the
Georgia Ballroom. It's the hotels most elegant and
popular ballroom. There are chandeliers that have
tree branches with leaves coming off them. I loved
that idea and it helps tie the message back into the
theme. "The Giving Tree" representing giving
with a selfless heart.
Chandeliers in ballroom have leaves on sides, great for The Giving Tree theme
Front entrance of hotel Location of valet parking

10. Idea of how stage will look 2 volunteers will greet guest before entering the
reception. Location of the cocktail and reception
area- "hallway"
Another angle into the cocktail reception View of the ballroom
The level of food chosen was plated deluxe meal. I want the guest to experience great food and
entertainment for the night. Choosing a deluxe package will allow us to play around with some
fun ideas that tie back into the message. For example, for the salad we can have apples in them
and for dessert we can have roasted apples with ice cream. The apple tree in the book was
someone who gave and was happy she gave. For the "extra" special something, there will be a 15
minute play of The Giving Tree being acted out by a local theatre company in Atlanta, Horizon
Theatre. The narrator of the play will be surprise guest Oprah Winfrey. As the guests receive
their salads at the start of the dinner, they will get that element of surprise and it will set the tone
for the rest of the night, giving with a happy heart.

11. Timing/Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015 7:00pm reception and silent auction, 8:00pm dinner
The A/V plan will support the event by enhancing the event visual appeal, creating a great sound
system and having enhanced lights to make the room look magical. There will be tree gobos
throughout the event walls in the ballroom. During the play, the sound will sound like surround
sound to give a great impact (in addition to Oprah being the narrator!).
Tree gobos surrounding the walls of the ballroom (both pictures)
Guest with disabilities:
There are a total of 5 guests with disability including a pregnant woman. These are the list of
guest that will attend with disabilities:
1. Toni Kaslow- board member uses wheelchair
2. Victor England- community leader uses wheelchair
3. Cassie Manatunga- potential donor, pregnant
4. Timothy Stames- community leader uses walker
5. Stephen R. White- potential donor, hard of hearing
For Kaslow and England, there will be no need for using an elevator because the event location
is located on the main level of the hotel. Prior to the event we will contact both parties and ask
them how they would like to be seated at the event, to sit in their wheelchair at the dinner table

12. or would they need assistance on sitting in a regular chair if they wanted to. We will also make
sure that the tables in the ballroom are spaced out enough for the wheelchairs to pass through.
Upon their arrival, we will have a volunteer waiting on them to assist them if they have any
further questions or concerns. We contacted Manatunga to see how many months pregnant she
is. She is 81/2 along so just as a measure of caution, we have a room waiting for her at the
Atlanta Hospital just in case she goes into premature labor. Stames was also contacted ahead of
time and he would like to have his walker within reach. There will be 38 60" round tables in the
ballroom for dinner, each will seat 8 persons. The table that will seat Stames will only seat 7
persons and his walker will replace the 8th seat. White asked if he could receive a listening
device and sit close enough to the stage.
Environmentally sensitive checklist:
 Will have the thermostat set at 76 degrees
 The A/v lighting company will use LED lights to help use less energy and heat. This will
also help keep the room cool.
 The apples that will be used for the hors d'oeuvres will be from a local Georgia farm that
grows organic fruits and vegetables.
 The trees being used for the center pieces are non-perishables and will be planted around
the exterior of Atlanta Hospital.
 The food menu from the garden will include vegetarian options for guest.
 All event staff, including caters, are instructed to separate recycling and composting into
the appropriate containers.
 The hospital volunteers were encouraged to carpool or use public transportation.
Post event follow up:
With every client, we give them a feedback form to fill out. We want to make sure that we are
always improving ourselves and making the client happy. We would also send our client a thank
you letter with a small token of appreciation. We will ensure that the message/theme the client
wanted for the event was implemented and executed properly.
Event Program
Evening's Celebration
Saturday, April 16, 2015
WELCOME Dr. JohnTelluride,FounderandCEO,AtlantaHospital
RECOGNITION Dr. JohnTelluride
A CARINGSTORY Thomas"Bouncy"Mayfield,celebrity-formerboxer
BLESSING Reverend WilliamHarris,Hospital ProgramChaplin
DINNER

13. SPECIALPRESENTATION HorizonTheatre,Atlanta
LIVE AUCTION JosephandMary, Area philanthropist,co-chairsfundraisingcommittee
A CARINGSTORY Committee membersanddepartmentheads
CLOSINGREMARKS Dr. Ryan Bold,BoardCo-Chair
Example of eventprogramdesign,representsthe apple tree
Head Tables and Table Host List
Tables 3 and 4 will be reserved for the head tables. Guest sitting at the head table will receive a
card with their table number at the registration table upon entering the cocktail reception. The
table host will have a special reserve tag on their table so they will know that they sit with their
back facing the stage. The special guest will sit in front of the stage next to the table host tables.
The table host will engage in conversation having a focused conversation. Where there is no
reserve seating, there will be open seating for the rest of the guest. The head table guest for
table 3 will include:
1. Dr. John Telluride, table host
2. Matthew Reith
3. Gouthami Hanes
4. Tammy Rosenberg
5. Michales Adams
6. Scott Ader
7. Paul Albert

14. 8. Deniis Andrews
Table 4 will include:
1. Dr. Sheila Allgood, table host
2. Tammy Rosenberg
3. Kenneth Aaberg
4. Chad Wood
5. Stanley Young
6. Christopher Cross
7. Nanette Batterson
8. David Baron
***If you would like someone else in replace of these people, let me know and I'll make
the necessary changes.
Caterer Dietary Restrictions: this form will be given to the caterer
1. Carolyn Ali- please substitute a vegetarian main dish. Eggs and dairy are fine
2. Tammy Rosenberg- vegetarian but can eat fish
3. Alexis Bleau- allergic to berries
4. Craig Boulis- does not eat beef
5. Tom Bowman- severe nut allergy
6. Catherine Wilkerson- vegetarian but lacto is OK
7. Laura Rye- vegetarian
8. Thomas Buzbee- allergic to all nuts, no peanuts or peanut oil
9. Alexander Compton- can't eat anything cooked in alcohol or with alcohol
10. Lois Conway- no meat at all, but can eat fish
11. Victor England- vegetarian
12. Caitlin Thompson- no meat, but can eat fish
13. Beth Hoffman
14. Walter Holifield- no pork
15. Stephen Knauft- only eats fish
16. Darrah Lewis- vegetarian
17. Lisa Anderson- vegetarian
18. Gordon Horowitz- pescatarian
19. David Mober- Vegetarian option
20. Joshua James- no pork or shellfish
21. Bill Moreno- no pork or shellfish
22. Susan Negi- gluetn free meal
23. David Rogers- allergic to seafood in general, particularly allergic to fish

15. 24. Shavonda Li- no seafood
25. Brittany Sanders- no seafood
26. Wesley Shanor- fish and chicken only
27. Alec Specner- vegetarian
28. Timothy Stames- allergies to tree nuts and peanuts
29. Johanna Belsole- sung vegetarian, but eats fish
30. Lauren Parlin- no pork
31. Brett Taylor- no pork
32. Seth Winn- vegetarian, no meat or fish
33. Amanda Teodorescu- vegetarian, no animals not even fish
34. Laura Bleau- no sodium
35. Brooks Urguhart- no sodium
36. Ali Weeks- allergic to green peas
37. Stephen R. White- vegetarian, fish is OK
38. Danielle Yang- vegetarian, no meat, poultry, fish. eggs are OK
39. Caitlin Zhou- no red meat
40. Teri Pill- has egg allergies
Timeline
Saturday, April 18, 2015
12:00 Event planner and hospital volunteers arrive
(Hotel will have setup complete upon arrival)
12:30 liens arrive (BBJ Liens), programs
1:00 Chef arrives (starts to prepare cocktail food and dinner food)
2:00 A/V and lighting set up
3:00 Set up silent auction items
4:00 Horizon Theatre Company arrive to practice on stage and make necessary
changes
4:30 Floral arrive (party favors and tree centerpieces)
6:15 String quartet band arrive
6:15 Photographer arrives
6:30 doors open
7:00 Cocktail reception and silent auction start
8:00 Ballroom doors open
8:30 Dinner, special presentation with Oprah
9:00 Live Auction

16. 9:30 A caring story remarks
10:00 closing remarks
11:00 Clean up