As the animated character, Dora the Explorer says: “WE did it! WE DID it! Yeah, WE DID IT!”
Dora’s team was always part of her successful journey, very similar to the Passport Oak Cliff journey. So, let me share how ‘We (POC) did it!’
Passport Oak Cliff grew out of a creative concept into ‘something’ that was fresh, innovative and neighborhood focused. There wasn’t a google map or a clear path on ‘what to do and when.’ Instead, we chiseled away and soon the idea started to take shape - Fun for You. Funds for the Community.
The first part of the ‘big team’ was the notorious POC Steering Team—Jim Hauck, Travis Lee Moore, Mike Matthews, Barbara Macleod, Susan Lee, Austin Miller, Steven Shnayder and Trudy Newton. Eight individuals quickly developed into a high-performance team. We had to flesh out what the structure of POC was going to look and feel like—a daunting task! And, finally we had it—14 unique neighborhood attractions, 2 after-parties with raffles and an interactive artwork, plus 2 concerts.
Saturday Steering Team meetings led to difficult decisions, updates, and many challenging action items. Big chunks that required an enormous amount of effort included: creative, marketing / communications, public relations, social media, sponsorships, neighborhood coordination, volunteer process, after-party logistics, raffle prizes and day-of logistics. However, We Did It!
The next part of the ‘big team’ was the 14 neighborhoods who embraced the initial POC idea. This was core to making the change to showcase Oak Cliff’s mosaic community. It took creativity and hard work to develop each neighborhood attraction. Each was special and unique, reflecting the diversity of the Oak Cliff community. And yes, They Did It!
The third part of the ‘big team’ were our sponsors. We worked hard to gain the trust and support with Schwab and 23 additional companies/individuals. The sponsors provided major funding for POC. Let’s continue to meet and support these companies; their partnering was key to POC’s success. Once again, we did it!
The fourth part of the ‘big team’ were the 24 companies and individuals that provided raffle prizes. Each prize was unique; providing great excitement during the after-parties drawings.
The ‘big team’ had a few butterflies as POC showtime arrived…. neighborhood attractions and concerts were ready with signage and teams, passports were printed and ready for stamping and volunteers were at their stations. The after-parties were set with food/beverages plus raffles.
So, what happened? Participants came; had fun plus learned new, different things about our neighborhoods. They also made new friends and renewed old friendships.
So, in the end what did we do? We:
- Raised a profit of $21,300 to support the HOC neighborhood grant process
- Developed a ‘big team’ for Oak Cliff among the 14 neighborhoods and HOC
- Created an event that showcased the beauty and diversity of the 14 neighborhoods
- Partnered with sponsors that believed in us
- Designed the POC success roadmap; we’re now ready for POC 2022!
