Daniel Varnis Capstone

Abstract
Before starting this Capstone project, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to pursue a project that would, in some way, benefit SLA. At first I was going to hold an 8K race/fun run on Kelly Drive to raise money, but after finding out the financial difficulties, I began to brainstorm other methods of fundraising. After some time I found that a partnership with the Phillies would be a great idea, considering they’re notorious for holding various fundraisers for schools/programs. From this process, I actually learned the difficulty of being a successful advertiser. Throughout the various problems I encountered through this process of setting up the fundraiser, I realized that successfully advertising a product requires a lot of persistence, a passion for the product, and a good personality!
Screen Shot 2014-05-05 at 3.43.28 PM
Screen Shot 2014-05-05 at 3.43.28 PM
​The image above is a screenshot of the email I received from the Citizens Bank representative finalizing the event for my capstone.
Fundraiser Poster PDF
​The image above is the official poster that was posted around SLA and South Philadelphia to advertise the fundraiser event.
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Screen Shot 2014-05-05 at 3.41.43 PM
​The image above is a screenshot of the official website where people purchased their tickets for the fundraiser event. The website can be visited HERE, but tickets can no longer be purchased.
​Final Annotated Bibliography

Braves Logo. Digital image. CBS Atlanta. N.p., 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. <http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/23938567/fans-react-to-braves-stadium-annoucment>.


This photo is the official logo for the Atlanta Braves through the Major League Baseball (MLB). I will be using this logo in the flyers that I will be made to advertise the fundraiser.  I don’t find any limitations with this photo, considering it’s the exact logo from the Atlanta Braves. I will probably being putting this picture to use across multiple mediums, some of which could be posters, advertisements, websites etc. Thinking about it, putting this logo on most of my things will be crucial if I really want to emphasize that this fundraiser is to help SLA through the Phillies and Citizens Bank Park as they play against the Atlanta Braves.



Caroline Davis, Personal Communication (E-Mail), January 8, 2014


In this email, I spoke with Ms. Davis about the status of my splash page. The splash place is where people can go online to purchase the tickets. At first we encountered an error with the website, it wasn’t loading. After a brief conversation, we solved the issue. We also discussed some other benefits that come along with this fundraiser. She said that if this fundraiser turns out to be a big hit, then there can be a lump sum amount of money to be directed towards Science Leadership Academy. Also, if we take into consideration that the Phillies have a HUGE rivalry against the braves, that may be a factor that brings in more ticket purchases, leading to more money for SLA!



Caroline Davis, Personal Communication (Telephone), December 12, 2013


This is when Caroline Davis, the leader of special events for the Phillies, contacted me say that she received my email. As we were talking on the phone, she explained to me that she thought this fundraising thing was a really good idea. She shared an electronic pamphlet with me that explained the requirements of a fundraiser. Ms. Davis explained to me that all of the necessary steps for a successful fundraiser can be found within that brochure/e-packet. Following the step-by-step procedure allowed me to get where I am today. As of right now, the fundraiser is in action and the website to purchase the tickets is live!



Citizens Bank Park. Digital image. ESPN. Citizens Bank Park, 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. <http://espn.go.com/travel/stadium/_/s/mlb/id/22/citizens-bank-park>.


This is a panoramic photo of Citizens Bank Park, the home ballpark for the Philadelphia Phillies. I will be using this logo in the flyers that I will be made to advertise the fundraiser. I don’t find any limitations with this photo, considering it’s the exact logo from Citizens Bank Park. I will probably being putting this picture to use across multiple mediums, some of which could be posters, advertisements, websites etc. Thinking about it, putting this logo on most of my things will be crucial if I really want to emphasize that this fundraiser is to help SLA through the Phillies and Citizens Bank Park.



"Getting More Media Coverage for Fund Raising Activities." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. <http://www.directcontactpr.com/free-articles/article.src?ID=86>.


This is an online article that contains details on how to gain publicity for a fundraiser. As of right now, all I’ve done is make some posters and put the ad in SLA’s advisory announcements. This website suggests that in order to gain a good amount of publicity, it’d be useful to contact the news and media. Having them advertise the fundraiser will not only spread the word, but give the fundraiser the opportunity to exceed expectations. This website also contains a contact box where I can get in touch with a professional that will give me tips and tricks to gaining publicity for my fundraiser.



Phillies. 2014 Group Ticket Brochure. Philadelphia: Phillies, 2013. Phillies. MLB, 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 13. <http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/ticketing/group/y2014/brochure.jsp>.


This brochure contains all of the information that I needed when organizing the fundraiser. For instance, I was able to pick the game date. I decided to go with April 16th, 2014 because it’s “Super Phanatic Night.” Ms. Davis explained to me again that all of the necessary steps for a successful fundraiser can be found within that brochure/e-packet. Following the step-by-step procedure allowed me to get where I am today. As of right now, the fundraiser is in action and the website to purchase the tickets is live! There are some other tips inside of the brochure that I will use to help make this capstone successful.



Phillies Logo. Digital image. Twitter. MLB, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. <https://twitter.com/Phillies>.


This photo is the official logo for the Philadelphia Phillies through the Major League Baseball (MLB). I will be using this logo in the flyers that I will be made to advertise the fundraiser. I don’t find any limitations with this photo, considering it’s the exact logo from the Phillies. I will probably being putting this picture to use across multiple mediums, some of which could be posters, advertisements, websites etc. Thinking about it, putting this logo on most of my things will be crucial if I really want to emphasize that this fundraiser is to help SLA through the Phillies and Citizens Bank Park.



Phillies Special Events, Electronic Communication, December 5, 2014


This was the first email that I sent out to the Phillies. In this email, I gave some background information on me, SLA, and my capstone. I also requested information on holding a fundraiser. This was one of my first attempts at communicating with Caroline Davis. I received a call from Caroline Davis through Citizens Bank Park about 5-7 days after I sent the email out. The original email was a lot of begging and explaining the budget predicament that SLA is in the middle of due to the School District of Philadelphia’s budget cuts. They were completely accepting of the idea and were willing to hold the fundraiser!



Science Leadership Academy Logo. Digital image. Penn Science Across Ages. University of Pennsylvania, 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. <http://www.pennscienceacrossages.com/about/partners/>.


This photo is the official logo for the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) through the University of Pennsylvania. I will be using this logo in the flyers that I will be made to advertise the fundraiser. I don’t find any limitations with this photo, considering it’s the exact logo from Science Leadership Academy (SLA). I will probably being putting this picture to use across multiple mediums, some of which could be posters, advertisements, websites etc. Thinking about it, putting this logo on most of my things will be crucial if I really want to emphasize that this fundraiser is to help SLA.

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