Through the eyes of an intern: Planning an event, Our 35th Anniversary Celebration

       Recently at Seniors’ Resource Center, we celebrated our 35^th anniversary of providing coordinated services to enhance independence, dignity, and quality of life for those advanced in age into the “golden years” of life.

       As an organization making arrangements for an upcoming event, we set out on a path of meticulous planning. The goal in planning our 35^th anniversary celebration was to ensure the program is executed well and worked out beforehand. In this case, the planning began several months ago. This organizing was my first practice with the planning for an event. I have attended events before, but this was a new experience.

       The groundwork began with marketing departmental meetings and the initial discussions for the event of our 35^th anniversary celebration, at the beginning of the year. An event program and schedule was established that set an agenda for the day of the event that was still several months away. A guest speaker was scheduled, catering called, tables and tents rented, and invitations were designed, addressed and mailed; as part of our plan of attack for a successful celebration. To accomplish our objective, the marketing department at SRC planned and schemed; the event was imagined and thought out in detail, all the way down to the napkins needed.

       As our guest arrived for the event; the Marketing Dept., including interns, continued with the execution of the program schedule and pressed on. Senators, mayors, and county commissioners mingled with SRC’s clients and Board of Directors; as they arrived at our Wheat Ridge location. Everyone was dressed in formal attire, and one of SRC’s clients in particular, looked nice in her formal dress and silk dress gloves.

       The guests enjoyed their lunch while the event program began for the 35^th anniversary celebration. With this planned social occasion, SRC set out to thank donors, volunteers, employees, community partners and clients for their continued support of our organization. The program featured Dr. Zarit, an expert on aging from Penn. State, who engaged the audience by discussing aging and Gerontology. Dr. Zarit spoke of the importance of providing aging services to mature adults and their caregivers, just as the Seniors’ Resource Center currently offers.

       The event went off without a hitch, and was as smooth as the silky dress gloves worn to the event by one of our elderly clients.

       The build-up and execution of the event for the 35^th anniversary celebration was an interesting experience for me, personally. Months of preparation went into getting ready for this event that was to last an hour and a half. As an intern in the Marketing Dept., I found the experience to be interesting and rewarding; I came to SRC from UCD’s Communication Dept. to continue my study in this experiential learning environment. I have been witness to a professional environment with departments routinely collaborating on projects and events. “When I grow up”, graduate, and seek employment; my hope is that my employer provides a collaborative working environment as Seniors’ Resource Center.