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26 North Arsenal Avenue | Indianapolis, Indiana 46201 | p 317 632 0123 | f 317 632 4362
 










Table Captains

Tool Kit
List of Captains
Table Captain FAQ
Table Captain Incentives

It's hard to believe, but it is once again time to start planning for The Damien Center's premier fundraising event, The Grande Masquerade! The event will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown on Saturday, Oct. 20 and will feature dinner, dancing, a large silent auction, live auction, and live entertainment. The dress will be costumes or formal attire.

We need your help to make this year's event a success! Please let us know if you are willing to serve as a Table Captain for the Grande Masquerade this year by contacting one of our table captain chairs or Damien Center staff at erogowski@damien.org.

To answer some of your questions about being a table captain we have put together the following information.

Thank you!
Joe Everhart and Aaron Schaler
Grande Masquerade Table Captain Co-Chairs

Table Captain Took Kit

Table Captains can use these samples and templates to help as you invite your friends, family, and coworkers to join you at Grande Masquerade.
Sample Letter
Sample E-mail
Link to The Damien Center Facebook page
Link to the Grande Masquerade Facebook event
The Damien Center Twitter Handle
Save the Date card in PDF format
Invitation in PDF format

2011 Table Captain List

    Tom Bartenbach
    Barnes & Thornburg, LLP
    BioScrip Pharmacy
    Bookkeeping Plus
    Bose McKinney & Evans, LLP
    Circle City HIV/AIDS Coalition
    Circle City Tuxedo
    Citizens Energy Group
    CVS Pharmacy
    DeFur Voran
    Paul Eckert
    Garry Elder
    Don Elliott
    Joe Everhart
    The Frame Shop
    Troy Farmer
    Jeff Franklin
    GayIndy.com
    George Hanlin
    The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis
    Just Pop In!
    Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP
    Jon Laramore
    Amanda McDonald
    Sam McHenry
    Marion County Health Department
    McNamara Florist
    Ken Morris
    Tom Murphy
    NUVO Newsweekly
    Natalie Neudecker
    Theresa Ochoa
    Tina Pasquinelli
    Paul Pickett
    Michael Plageman
    Don Privett
    Scott Reef
    Troy Schneck
    Doug Shoemaker
    Ben Solomon
    Marva Stanford
    David Stoner
    Craig Toby
    Stephen Tracy
    TrendyMinds
    USA Funds
    Steve Wagman
    Chad Walker
    Sylvia Wilcox
    Wishard
    The Word
    Emily Wren
    WTHR Channel 13
    Trevor Yager
    Jeremy York

Table Captain FAQs

What is a table captain's commitment?
By stepping up to be a Table Captain, you commit to working to fill a table of ten for Grande Masquerade on Oct. 20. Many Table Captains fill more than one. You can fill your table in several ways:
  • Personally purchcase ten tickets or sponsor a table as an individual
  • Secure a sponsorship from your employer
  • Ask your table mates to purchase their own tickets and list you as their table captain


What is the suggested process to organize a table?
Filling your table begins with extending the invitation. Invite friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, or whoever else you feel may have an interest. The best invitation for your guests is a personal one. You can:
  • Invite people via e-mail, mail, or phone using the samples in the toolkit above or by creating your own personal invitations
  • Set up a Facebook event or use the Grande Masquerade event set up by the Damien Center
  • Tweet about the event to your friends using #masquerade, and encourage them to follow The Damien Center @DamienCenter
  • Throw a pre-event party to encourage your friends to purchase tickets
  • Don't wait until the last minute to send your invitations - people's calendars fill up quickly! Getting on their schedules as soon as possible will give you the highest likelihood of successfully filling your table. Being clear about the date, cost, and method to buy tickets gives people the information they need to take action. Even if they don't buy their tickets right away, you will have set an expectation.


How can I organize a pre-event?
To fill their own tables and encourage others to join the excitement, some Table Captains have asked us how they could plan their own pre-events. Summer BBQs, fall house parties, company lunch gatherings, or simply gathering at a local restaurant or club are a great way to put the date on calendars and get commitments for one, two, or as many tables as you can fill. Contact us at erogowski@damien.org to take an organizing role, let us know your event plans, get the word out via our Facebook page, or get advice about how to make your pre-event a success. Don't forget, many of The Damien Center's Dining Out for Life restaurants would be great locations for pre-event parties!

What if I cannot fill my table in time for the event?
We are eager to have you fill your table and create the best event for you and your group that evening, but you will not be penalized for unsold seats. Smaller groups may be combined, or you and the guests who are joining you that evening may have other individual ticket-holders assigned to your table. We want this to be energizing and fun, so give it a try!

Table Captain Incentives!

As an incentive to our dedicated table captains, the top selling captain will receive dinner for two at Mesh, provided by The Damien Center! The winner will be determined by total tickets/tables sold by October 19.

What is the cost of tickets and/or sponsorships?
Pre-sale tickets for this year's event are $135 per person ($1,350 for a table of ten), or $175 per person for VIP tickets ($1,750 for a table of ten). VIP tickets include admission to the VIP reception, which includes an open bar, and premier seating for the event. Sponsorship opportunities range from $2,000 - $10,000 and can be found by downloading the Sponsorship Packet here.

Early registration is encouraged as the price of the tickets will increase by $25 to $160 and $200 per person AFTER October 14, 2010. Online registration is available (with payment by credit card) right now by accessing the agency web site at the online ticketing page.

What are the event details?
Date:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012
Times:
    6:00 - VIP Reception
    6:30 - Cocktails and Silent Auction
    7:30 - Dinner and Entertainment
    10:00 - Midnight - Dancing
Location:
 Attire:
    Masks & Costumes or Black Tie