Planning for the SPJ National Convention in October is underway and I need your help assembling a gift basket for the SPJ Legal Defense Fund silent auction. The silent auction will be held on Sunday, October 3 during the opening night reception at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
The board of directors at our Saturday meeting discussed creating a Virginia is for Lovers gourmet gift basket. Quite frankly, I left the meeting hungry for peanuts and seafood. There’s so much to love, and eat, in Virginia and a basket with standout goodies from the Old Dominion should be a big hit at the silent auction.
If you are able, please consider donating an item for the basket or contributing to the purchase of basket items and other costs, such as shipping the basket to the convention.
A few items have already been donated or committed, and a couple of folks have made monetary donations instead. Both are great ways to get help.
Please send me an email and let me know if you, or your organization, have an item for the basket or other contribution.
We need to provide the national chapter a list of items in the basket by this Friday, August 26. We can take a couple of weeks to get the items together, but please let me know if you’re planning to contribute by the end of this week.
Suggested items for the gift basket:
· Famous Virginia Diner peanuts (received)
· Shenandoah Valley apple syrup (received)
· Virginia is for Lovers mug (received)
· A gold medal-winning Virginia wine (committed, but more than one is great)
· Large can of Norfolk crab soup
· Local seafood seasonings
· A Smithfield ham
· Virginia is for Lovers T-shirt
· Virginia is for Lovers wine glasses and other accessories
· Other gourmet food items made in Virginia
Donations can be sent to:
SPJ Virginia Pro
c/o Nicole McMullin
300 E. Franklin St.
Richmond, VA 23219
If dropping-off, please leave the items with the security guard at the front desk if I am not available. The security desk is staffed until 7 p.m. on weekdays.
I hope that many of you are planning to attend the convention in Las Vegas. We had a great time last year in Indianapolis, and the list of speakers and programs at this year’s convention looks great. Plus, it’s Vegas!
Thanks for your continued support.
Nicole McMullin
President, SPJ Virginia Pro Chapter
Email | 804-852-0030
SPJVA Today 