The first weekend in February, I attended my last conference as a Georgia Thespian with an awesome student board, inspiring adult chapter board and one of my closest friends Ari Hayaud-Din.
The Georgia STO, under the direction of Mrs. Kimberly Staples, hosted a silent auction, sold ducks and hug pins to raise money for conference grants! The silent auction featured show themed baskets that the STO created throughout the year including a Hamilton basket that sold for $700! Each duck was paired with another, labeled by a star and their big break. Through these fundraisers the STO raised enough money to allow 20 students to experience all that Georgia ThesCon offers!
In addition to raising money for conference grants, the STO supported Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS via a live auction selling signed Broadway memorabilia, posters, and tickets to events around Georgia. Thanks to the great auctioneers Sam Dubin and Mackenzie Staples, this live auction was a success. If you were at Georgia Conference you probably saw some people running around dressed like Starbucks baristas and those were our new “Baby” STO leading our Broadway Cares fundraiser called “Starbucks”. This fundraiser was track verses track and thespians were asked to give [star]bucks to help people in need. Through Starbucks and the Live auction Georgia Thespian’s raised over $8,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
If you follow Georgia Thespians or I on twitter you might have seen the STO’s #ToastTexas campaign… this idea was formed when Texas’ Chapter Director Amy Jordan challenged Georgia’s Chapter Director and my dear friend Paul Hampton to beat their Minute to Give It total of $6,000. Well maybe the saying should be changed to “Don’t Mess with Georgia” because Georgia Thespians exploded ready to #ToastTexas and give to a great cause. The weekend ended with Mr. Hampton announcing that Georgia Thespians raised $7,000 for the Send a Troupe Grant and a big platter of burnt toast. The friendly competition between the two states raised $13,000 allowing more thespians to have the Lincoln Experience.
Between the mainstage of Buford High School’s production of Jekyll and Hyde, the “Glow with the Flow” dance, NAPS and leadership workshops it was quite the weekend! I can officially say my last Georgia Thespian conference was a success. I am so appreciative to all the STO, baby STO, ITO and adult board who worked extremely hard to accommodate the 4,000 thespians that flooded Columbus, GA. Though I am sad to see my days as a student go, I am so thankful for the opportunity to work along side such wonderful leaders and represent my state on a national level. Thank you Georgia Thespians for your support, encouragement and energy!