This event, my yoga, health, & wellness day, was entirely a dream idea for several months. That is, until I met Audra who did a drop in a couple months ago, and talked about hosting a yoga class at our gym. This is something I had been wanting to do for a LONG time, and with her enthusiasm and connections, and my persistence with Russ to make it happen, he finally agreed to let me put something together.
To be honest, I didn’t think it would be successful, and I’d hear the usual “I told you so! People don’t want that stuff!” sort of response, but this time around, he let me run with it, and with Audra’s help, we secured an amazing instructor named Dan Nevins, who’s also a Wounded Warrior and a double amputee as a result of injuries sustained during the war.
To build on top of this, I said hey, let’s have some of our local businesses come in and showcase what they do. These can be members of our own CrossFit community, members of our surrounding Jax Beach community, etc. I started making phone calls and sending messages on facebook. I got suggestions from friends at the gym as to who would be a good addition to our wellness day, and blindly reached out to them to see if they’d be interested in coming.
To my surprise, people started responding. And they wanted to do this!! They were agreeing and they were loving the idea! I was feeling the excitement of getting a bunch of good people together to hang out and share what they do. But what if people don’t show? Oh God, what if it’s just the vendors?
Dave suggests hosting a raffle too. So again with my emails and messages, hey… can you donate? Will you donate? We’re selling raffle tickets now! Wait.. who does the raffle benefit?! Wounded Warrior, yes!! That would be good!! Wounded Warrior was already being represented at the event with Dan teaching Baptiste Power Yoga, so why not?? Let’s invite more warriors!!! So.. Casey and Isla, two adorable people who also work with WWP, arranged to have a table as well as a few Warriors come out to share their stories and to be a part of the event. WHOA.
The donations start piling up. From my post on Facebook:
Crossfit Total Control is donating a free month of Fundamentals classes to any new sign up!
Mór Culture is donating a 4 week supply of flavored kefir water (16 bottles! A $60 value!)
Cognito Farm is donating a $50 gift certificate!
Popwell & Stalnaker Chiropractic Center is donating a new patient consultation, exam and x-rays, a $170 value!
Dali Wall Decals is donating a $100 gift certificate!
lululemon athletica Jacksonville is donating a yoga mat and strap, an $86 value!
Lianne is donating a bag of P96 vanilla shakes and Ease cream, a $77 value!
Soapforathletes by Trails Natural is donating a gift basket of soaps and bath bombs, a $50 value!!
Audra Robinson is donating a doTERRA athlete’s kit, a $100 value, and 2 doTERRA wholesale memberships (each a $35 value!)
Andrea V. Danti is donating a new acupuncture patient consultation and follow up, a $150 value!
Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies is donating five $15 gift cards!
Brian Anderson from The Anderson Performance and Longevity Clinic donated a full patient evaluation. Mike from Jax Sports donated a bunch of goodies! Tyler Brunner donated 2 photo shoots with edited photos too! It was just amazing to see all these good people donating their services and products to help raise money and bring people in.
Then the day before the event comes along and I start to panic again. OMG what if people don’t show up? What if it rains? I’ll post! It can be all inside! We’ll be fine. HOLY SHIT what if DAN doesn’t show up??! Will I have to teach a yoga class?? Oh god no, I’m definitely not ready for that! The voices in my head just spewed negativity and what if’s, and… there was nothing I could do about it except hope that all went well.
Let’s not forget the small detail that Audra had some crazy reaction and had to go to the hospital. I literally never saw this poor girl the entire time EXCEPT for when I drove to the ER to sit with her and take her snacks, late Friday night before the event. She ended up being diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. She never left the place she was staying, from Tues-Fri, except to go the ER and to go back. She couldn’t even make the event. I felt so bad!! We kept each other updated on the events and happenings, and thank God I drove downtown to see her, or I wouldn’t have had a chance to visit with her at all before she flew home. Crazy girl. (and yes, she’s okay!!)
The morning of, Dave and I came in early and got our tent set up for the raffle tickets. He and I had also come in the night before to set up the speakers and whatnot (THANK YOU DAVE!) and to make sure the sound was all good to go. Vendors started pouring in to set up their stuff, and wow, they knew what they were doing! They didn’t need help or direction or to be told what to do, it was amazing. The floor plan I sent out worked, the leadership I maintained was respected and admired, and people actually treated me like I knew what I was talking about. What?! I was running around freaking out, hanging up banners, planting yard signs, and just generally panicking about the day. And 9am rolled around. And people started to show. And they wanted to buy raffle tickets! And we accepted credit cards! And cash! And they wrote their info down like they were supposed to! WHAT. I can’t believe this is all HAPPENING. And music was playing, and people were talking, and things were moving. I had actually pulled this off!!
to be continued….
