A few weeks ago I found myself hunched over a napkin at Damgoode Pies in the River Market, straining to spell the name of National Public Radio's West Africa correspondent. I got the last name, Quist-Arcton. Turns out "Ofavia" is in fact Ofeibea. Wow. Would not have gotten that.
Local public radio station KUAR/KLRE threw a bar trivia event they called "All Answers Considered," and it was packed. Happy-hour orders became unhappy hour-long waits. I hope service has improved in time for United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas' bar trivia night there on Tuesday.
Tickets are $20 at the door, and that includes a pizza buffet dinner: UCPark.org or (501) 747-0005.
I know what bar trivia is, but what is this? A trend?
I called up Sarah Donaghy, development director at the radio station, and asked her where she'd gotten the idea. She hadn't stolen it from another charity in town, and when she put it out to other public radio stations around the country, only two had ever done such a thing -- in St. Louis and New Hampshire.
No, the idea is hers. She used to go to bar trivia competitions put on by a national company, Challenge Entertainment, at Gusano's and Dugan's Pub downtown, "so I know it's popular," particularly among a coveted demographic -- young people. She thought it had "good potential for our kind of crowd -- public radio listeners."
These public radio listeners, they're a particular set. Shows like On the Media or Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me are pedantic, liberal (at least on the same radio dial as Doc Washburn), eclectic. "While we certainly want to reach out to a wider audience than our listening audience, public radio listeners are some of the most informed folks, and the folks who want to be informed."
Example from Aug. 27 -- Stevie Wonder originally wrote the song "Superstition" for what well-known guitarist? Answer at bottom.
The other thing Donaghy was betting on is that this audience would mingle well, and it did. It was a huge success by any measure but one -- it raised $650 after expenses, which is molecular even for an outfit that begs for its operating budget.
There were nearly 200 contestants (more signed up and were wait-listed), some of whom spilled out onto the balcony. "The diversity of ages was fantastic," Donaghy said.
This was a charity bonding experience, a "friend-raising," she said, and development directors speak as enthusiastically about such investments as they do direct appeals.
Should Kristin Stuart over at United Cerebral Palsy expect similar success Tuesday night?
The radio station has one big advantage over the charity for people with developmental disabilities. Every hour, on the hour, it can reload its 10-second spot for the event. "For anything we do, we are unique and very lucky because we have the radio itself to promote [it]."
Last week, Stuart said she had eight or nine teams of four signed up. She didn't get the idea from KUAR, she vows. The charity has a gala and a golf tournament, and she was just aiming to triangulate a bit. "We really want to encourage our clients, the people we serve, to get out and get into the community, even if they don't do trivia."
PHILANTHROPY DAY
The local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals holds its Philanthropy Day awards luncheon Nov. 19 at Embassy Suites in west Little Rock. Greg Hatcher, founder of The Hatcher Agency insurance company and author of the book 55 Steps to Outrageous Service, will accept the Outstanding Individual Philanthropist award.
Hatcher is a physical fitness philanthropist, first and foremost, though the last time I saw him he was being honored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at its 2014 Breath of Life gala. His Mighty Blue Bird Foundation is all about facilitating youth sports and fitness. He's also credited, according to the association, with establishing more than 60 high school wrestling teams and another seven college programs in the last nine years.
Other luncheon awardees:
• Janell Mason of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser
• Hat Club and Derek Owens for Outstanding Volunteer Organization
• Conway Corp. and Richard Arnold for Outstanding Corporation
• Jim Montgomery, former Glazer's executive, the President's Award
• Melissa Hendricks, who handles fundraising for Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services, will take home the trophy for professional fundraising.
LEGAL ... BEAGLE?
Big congratulations to Ashley Younger, who breaks her addiction to legal briefs and case law Monday and becomes the next director of Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals (CARE), the animal rescue nonprofit in the Heights.
After graduating from the law school in Fayetteville, Younger clerked for two years for the Honorable Richard D. Taylor in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western districts of Arkansas, then joined Mitchell Williams, on the insurance and governmental affairs side. More recently she worked at the Criminal Division of the state attorney general's office.
She's just following her passion now, she says.
She's been a CARE volunteer for five years, having been a Saturday-pet-showing volunteer, a foster mom, a caseworker, and a caseworker coordinator for Paws in Prison and last year's chairman for Paws on the Runway. She was most recently the secretary on the board of directors.
"I aspire to be half the person my dog thinks I am."
ANSWER
And for whom did Stevie Wonder write "Superstition"? Jeff Beck, duh.
Actually, no one got that. N-o o-n-e.
The best place to leave me a nasty voice mail is (501) 378-3574.
High Profile on 11/08/2015