Once a year Steve McChesney’s neighborhood gets a little rowdy… to raise money for charity. This year it was Steve’s turn to host the huge annual neighborhood party and to choose the charity. An avid HTS supporter and adoptive dad, Steve says HTS was a “natural choice.”

To maximize donations to HTS, Steve and his neighbors got people to provide food, drinks, music andall the other party necessities for free. Three months in advance, they sent a “save the date” email and followed up with a series of reminders. They also blanketed their neighborhood with fliers inviting people (and warning them about the music).Because they didn’t require RSVPs, they encouraged people to bring friends and for those friends to bring friends as well.

As they marketed the party, they marketed the cause. They invited people to donate to HTS online or to bring a donation to the party where they had donation mailboxes at the entry gate and several tables.

The party began in the afternoon and catered to a family crowd with a popcorn machine, bubbles and “all the basics for kids to have a great time.” After the kids went to bed, the adults continued to have a good time, especially at the booth where volunteers shot goofy photos. Steve jokes that he’s not sure if the sometimes goofy party was an event “to mimic or mock,” but adds: “We had a lot of fun and got to donate to a great cause.” Huge thanks to Steve and his neighbors for “partying with a purpose” for Half the Sky.