EVENT
Swig for the Wig
A bar crawl benefiting teen and young adult cancer patients.
CHALLENGE
Cancer. A terrifying word to hear at any age. The Rutledge Cancer Foundation was founded specifically to help teens and young adults that have been diagnosed with the disease. They offer resources for support groups, education, and social programs for patients undergoing treatment. While they had large support system at the grade school level, they needed help breaking into the college scene. So we targeted this hip, youthful, but mature audience and dove into throwing a fun, themed event to help raise money and awareness.
SOLUTION
What college student doesn’t love a good pub crawl? It’s the way to go for those who want to sin a little and help the greater good, too. We aimed at their party side and made sure every step was easy, convenient, and safe.
“Swig for the Wig” came to fruition with meaning behind the name. Chemotherapy causes hair loss. As a young adult, image is important and loosing your hair can be devastating. A nice wig could cost anywhere between $500 - $2,000. But when your budget is already tight from the cost of surgery and medical treatments, even a $60 wig may seem unrealistic.
So we partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to raise funds to provide wigs for young adult cancer patients. A wig can boost spirits and help them feel like normal teens and young adults again. St. Jude will reimburse families that wish to purchase a wig or hairpiece for a patient up to $75.
RESULTS
There were 13 bars and over 100 participants that shared in the excitement. Many sponsors supported the event through printed swag, monetary donations, drink specials, and complimentary rideshare vouchers for crawlers. Each bar received a designated “Swig” location decal and the event t-shirt had a map printed on the back to help crawlers along the way. A Wig Hunt was held during the event and the winners received prizes such as donated restaurant gift cards and event-branded beer steins. The event raised nearly $4000 which was enough to provide nearly 50 patients with new wigs!
