TEXTILES.ORG
By Jake Kulju
Each year, the Children’s Home Society holds one of its most popular fundraisers, the Polo Classic. The event is one of the society’s longest running fundraisers and has collected more than $2 million in its 18-year history. For the fundraiser in 2006, Skyway Event Services of Minneapolis, Minn., provided tents, including a clearspan structure and 46 10-by-10-foot tents, along with stages, tables and seating areas with picket fencing.
Attendees could reserve some of the tents provided by Skyway as a way of generating funding for the Children’s Home Society, says Skyway’s Dawn Westermann. Donors could choose from an array of VIP tents, the Skybox bleachers for 45 people or the unique Skyway VIP bleachers complete with umbrella tables and a bar.
Setup for the event took a crew of 12 a day and a half, with one full day to tear down. Skyway also provided customer service and maintenance staffing at the event. After the event in 2006, Westermann says the company thought about charging an on-site maintenance fee, which would enable Skyway to provide more maintenance staff capable of handling adjustments and on-site service during the fundraiser.
Skyway has been tenting the Polo Classic for several years. “We acquired a bunch of high-peak tents of the 10-by-10-foot variety specifically for this event,” Westermann says. “They’ve always been happy with the setup and have invited us to come back again next year.” The 18th Annual Polo Classic is set for early August 2007, and Skyway will be there to ensure the Children’s Home Society only has to worry about bringing in more dollars for kids.