By Arielle Follett
A required year-long project intended to raise money for the Children’s Wish Foundation has turned into a passionate endeavour for five event management students.
Students Rimi Datta, Kim Orr, Taylor Lang, Jillian Gauthier and Karinne McAndrew have taken this project to another level with their event “Save a Horse, Ride a Wish.”
The class assignment is to put on an event which will raise money without any budget. This event can take any form the students want.
The group’s professor, event management co-ordinator Sylvia Densmore, is “very proud of them,” citing the “spectacular quality of entertainment” the girls have solidified through the hard work of programming and entertainment leader Gauthier.
“The event consists of western-themed activities like a lucky horseshoe toss and a silent auction,” said Orr, who is responsible for the event’s finances along with Lang. “It’s a fun time.”
The night will also consist of dancing to country music, performed live by recording artists, including Jordan McIntosh, a local rising country star.
“I love performing in the Ottawa area. You get familiar faces in the audience and it’s just awesome,” said McIntosh. “There’s nothing like going back to where you’re from.”
Datta and McAndrew are in charge of the event’s social media and advertising which consists of a Facebook page with over 100 likes, as well as a Twitter and Instagram account with a combined total of nearly 1,000 followers.
The event, planned for March 20 at Greenfield’s Pub, is aiming to appeal to “country folk who’ve moved out to the big city.”
“I’ve been to a few country-themed events and they are always so fun and free-spirited,” said Gauthier. “I thought it would be a good idea to do something with a free-spirited vibe for a youthful foundation like Children’s Wish.”