Chef Matt of "Firefighters Barbecue Sauce" has chosen to identify this website as a "Community Site" for several reasons. Practically speaking, our Internet audience locates us through search engines, links to and from other sites, press releases, and word of mouth. Also, the term "community," though widely overused in a variety of contexts, is the only one broad enough to provide an umbrella for the audience we appeal to.
For Firefighters' Barbecue Sauce, the "community" means any community, whether it’s defined by a geographic location such as , a little town in New Hampshire, a hamlet in New Jersey, a suburb of Los Angeles or the city of Chicago. Now there will also be our site community and all those that make friends from it from around the world.
I feel that one of 'FireFightersbbq.com's most important functions is in providing the community with a central online meeting place for networking with others for news, voting, activities and general discussions. Increasingly, as the community looks to 'Firefightersbbq.com' as a place to meet and share their experiences, we will always do our best to meet those needs.
Through those means FireFightersBBQ.com's community will grow exponentially, making all our lives richer. I urge you to participate and tell everyone in your address book about this site.
Why have we gone to all this trouble? Because we want to see your information, ideas and successes go toward helping others. We want to see people working better as a community to aid those we call FireFighters that give so much and sometimes all to protect us, help us when in need, and provide a brotherhood of role models for our youth.
We want to see your worthy fundraising efforts succeed as part of your community and its development. As your fundraising efforts make their way into public conversation through your hard work and a little help from us, it will truly make the world a little smaller, a little closer, and a whole lot better!. In short, we want to help you change the world.
FireFighter's Barbecue Sauce knows the reason you are fundraising is because your group probably doesn't already have tons of cash on hand to spend. That's why FireFighter's Barbecue Sauce is now offering a "no money up-front" option for payment.
The really cool part about the wristbands is the awareness it creates in your community. When you see another person wearing the wristband or "Fire Rescue" shirt, you know that they are supportive of your Fire Department. Hey, That opens up a line for conversation with someone new!
Wristbands are inclusive of the price of FireFighters Barbecue Sauce. Sponsors may be any type of business, for example: restaurants, movies, miniature golf, hair salons, car washes, dry cleaners, etc...!
Simply contact or approach local restaurants and businesses that you would like to have support your fundraiser. Get them on board before you even contact us. Perhaps the local business club or Chamber of Commerce would be a good place to introduce the idea of raising Money for your Fire Department. Remember it does not cost them anything! Simply display the poster with all the participating business'. We can help you with the layout of the poster and send you the graphics for printing. If you have a local printing company, they would be great to have as a sponsor. They would get exposure and your fundraiser will save money. Your sponsors will decide what type of discount they will honor, and it is totally free of charge! Be sure to have authorized owners/managers approve the discounts. This is a great way to encourage local spending.
My name is Chef Matt, I have another BBQ Sauce company called Chef Matt's. You can find it here. http://www.chefmatts.com . What I have done is re-label my mild Barbecue Sauce to a FireFighters theme for any and all Fire Departments to use as a fundraising tool.
In order to get the word out I give product away in exchange for a word of Thanks, A link to a website or sign my guestbook. Thats it. It is my hope that we, can create an awareness of the needs of FireFighters as people. Not from a catastrophic tragedy such as 911 to make people aware of the heros that live among us every day.
I have a little saying that I tell people and my friends. " There are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those that HAVE been helped by a FireFighter, and those that WILL be helped by a FireFighter." Anyways, I offer wristbands, Barbecue sauces and a limited amount of shirts to use to raise money. I also have an informational packet full of other ways and means of raising money in conjunction with my products. FireFighters scooping ice cream, waiting tables and donating tips, Setting up a booth for the wristband program, etc.
It is my dream, if you will. that ALL of america would get behind fundraisers and show their support of the sacrifices that FireFighters make. Everyday I recieve alerts thru email of what is happening in the firefighting community. There are many aspects that I notice about the FireFighting community and the strongest is the bond that the 'brotherhood' shares across the country and even around the world. Men and women, Vol;unteer and paid firefighters all have it and proudly display it. I would like to have the civilian public join together in the same fashion as Lance Armstrong's Livestrong wrist bracelet program. It was a marketing milestone in my eyes.
I know that the economy is in the crapper these days and this program can help our neighbors and particularly small businesses. Here is how it works and remember the important part about the wristband program is that small businesses embrace this idea and support it through a discount on services. For instance here is how I envision this working. Lets say that Anytown USA is looking to raise money for its volunteer FireFighters. Organize a group of volunteers to approach small business owners. The local hardware store, nail salon, car wash, miniature golf course, restaurants, movie theater, landscape companies, car dealerships and every business you can think of. Show them the wristband that you are wearing ( first 50 donated by me) and just ask them to give a discount on services that they already perform. Car dealership gives a $15.00 oil change, Miniature golf has a buy one round and the next one is at 1/2 price. The local Hardware store store gives 10% off on puchase of $75.00 or more. And so and so on. The $10.00 donation that you accept for the America's Bravest wristband has just bought them a discount at local merchants. You have just stimulated the economy in your own area. I sell the wristbands at $1.00 each with a buy back policy. 25% payment required at time of order, 25% payment due 2 weeks after delivery and the balance due 4 weeks after that.
Six weeks after your event I will purchase any unused items still in original condition that you may have at the full price at which you bought them. You have zero chance of getting 'stuck' with any unwanted items. The one question that I do get asked is " why use FireFightersBBQ.com for this? Can't we can do this on our own." True, the problem being that it does not take fundraising to a national and unified effort. When Anytown, USA and Somewhereville, USA are together with the wristband program, which is only 1 aspect of this effort, everyone benefits even greater. You check with FireFightersBBQ.com under your state, or to the state where you are traveling to and get a list of the companies that support the wristband program and give them your business if possible. The more people and more businesses that participate means that more people benfit and everyone wins. In real terms and minimal case senario and depending on your city size. Each business that you approach gets on board you order 2,000 wristbands, $500 is your initial purchase cost. You take delivery of your America's Bravest wristbands and in 2 weeks you manage to accept donations for 1,000 of those wristbands. I receive 25%. You still have 4 more weeks to accept donations for the remaining 1,000 wristbands. and lets say you only get donations for 800 of the remaining wrist bands. At your option I will buy back the remaining 200 wristbands at $1.00 each I recieve the balance, and the FireDepartment gets$16,200.00 just from the wristband program alone. AND, there are no left over t shirts that need to be discounted and sold to cover costs. The local merchants are getting business that they might not otherwise and there is a whole bunch of Monday morning water cooler talk about your event.
Next year when you initiate the next fundraiser ,businesses will be coming to YOU to recieve the benefits that other business' recieved from this years event. Request a packet today for many more creative and fun ways to make your fundraising event a success,and let's work together to support America's Bravest. -Chef Matt Guzman-
