What, Where, When?!

Hi everyone,

The official Eat So They Can weekend is approaching fast and I know that it can feel a bit overwhelming as you start to figure out the details of what you're actually going to do! I'm hoping that this post will help give you some ideas and inspiration. Please also remember that you are always welcome to call us any time if you'd like to have a chat about your event. 

What?!

So you've signed up to host an ESTC event but you have no idea what kind of event you should actually host. Don't panic! Remember that your event can be anything you want it to be and that no event is too small. Here are some ideas:

- Eat So They Can cocktail night: A cocktail night is relatively easy to organize and is always popular! One host is even creating a special 'ESTC' cocktail.

- Themed evenings: A lot of hosts are organizing a themed event and having people dress up. We even had one host painting her horses like zebras for an African event last year!
- Date auction: One of our hosts is having local restaurants donate dinner vouchers and then auctioning dinner dates.
- Live music/dancing: Why not talk to some local groups and see if you can get them to perform some live music/dancing at your event? Or if you have a talented bunch of friends, you might want to organize a Talent Show!
- Auction/raffle: A great way to spice up the evening and raise some extra dollars is to ask local companies to donate items which you can auction or raffle at your event.
- International dinner party: We're soon going to be putting up our recipe guide onto our online resources which will include all kinds of delicious recipes from around the world.

Where?!
Deciding on a venue for your event is often the first step you should take and can be quite a challenge. Here are some ideas:
- Your home: Easy and free!
- A community hall: Great for public events and you can often get a discount or even free hire if you explain what you're fundraising for.
- A school hall: This can be a fun way to get a whole school involved.
- A park: For those of you who live in reliable climates this can be a great option for a public event.
- A church hall: Church halls can provide a great space and often have kitchens attached.
- A restaurant: Some restaurants are willing to give you a discounted set menu and you can then sell dinner tickets. 
- A cinema: If you have a local independent cinema in your town they may be willing to let you hire the cinema to do a screening of the ESTC DVD.

When?!
The official weekend is October 16-17 and the majority of Eat So They Can events will take place over this weekend to coincide with World Food Day. However, we also have lots of people hosting events later on in the year so if you need an extra couple of weeks to plan or you want to link in your ESTC event with another special day (e.g. thanksgiving, halloween or your birthday) you are welcome to host your event on a different date. Please just remember that all donations need to be submitted by December 31st if you want to be entered into our Grand Prize Draw.

Good luck and thank you!
Eliza