Community Service Events Finalist: Leon & Lulu
Colleen Bohen -- Gifts and Dec, 8/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
Clawson, MI-based Leon & Lulu is an independently owned furniture, gifts and accessories store whose owners — husband-and-wife-team Mary Liz Curtin and Stephen Scannell — say they have managed to raise more than $200,000 for local charities in less than three years.
When the 15,000-sq.-ft. store opened in April, 2006, the owners found themselves without a budget for marketing expenses. Instead they decided to promote themselves by "pouring all our marketing efforts into charity-related events." These events include parties, fundraisers, silent auctions and other affairs the store hosts for the benefit of various local organizations. Initially the pair planned to host one event per quarter, but the program has expanded so rapidly that the owners say they hosted "nine major events and a host of smaller ones," last year alone.
Raising Awareness and Money
While the approach might be considered unusual, the retailers have found it to be a profitable one; the events have made consumers aware of the store in its "out-of-the-way location." In fact, the duo says they have "been profitable since our fifth month in business, continue to grow in this nasty economy and posted sales of approximately $1.2 million in 2008." In other words, they're no charity case (pun intended).
Scannell and Curtin say some of their favorite recent events include "Decorating The Throne," a silent auction featuring 35 artist-decorated toilet seats, which benefited the community theater's production of "Urinetown, The Musical"; an event called the "Duck Off," which served as a launch party for a duck race in the Detroit River that benefitted a food bank; and "Terrible Twos," an anniversary party that raised funds for Gilda's Club of Metro Detroit.
But one singular special event was held near Memorial Day 2008. "Meet My Mother, The Marine: A Celebration of The Greatest Generation" featured Curtin's mother, a WWII Woman Marine, and was held for Honor Flight of Michigan, a non-profit dedicated to bringing WWII veterans to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The event raised enough money to send three veterans to the memorial.
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