EventMobi’s 150 Days of Action: Dory’s Volunteer Story with Pink Pearl
Volunteering through EventMobi with 150 Days of Action
When Eventmobi launched the 150 Days of Action program last July, I felt extremely excited and proud to work for a company that supports volunteer involvement and giving back to the community. Sitting on the committee for the Pink Pearl Foundation retreat, I was excited to participate in the EventMobi program and use volunteer days towards the Pink Pearl weekend event.
After working as an event planner in the association world for over seven years, I decided to join EventMobi and am now the Professional Services Manager. I was inspired to join this exciting team and apply my event planning skills to consult other planners on how to best use technology at their events. So why not apply these skills to organizing an event for a cause I really believe in and want to support?
What is Pink Pearl?
The Pink Pearl Foundation was conceived by 32-year-old ovarian cancer survivor Elise Gasbarrino. While undergoing cancer treatment in her early twenties, Elise felt certain elements were missing from her experience. She was looking for a way to connect with young women facing the same issues, and a means for them to conquer their issues together.
Her vision transformed into Pink Pearl Foundation, a not-for-profit organization made up of more than 25 dedicated volunteers focused on bringing together young women affected by cancer through a network of peer support and innovative programs. Funds raised provide effective and fully-funded programming for young women between the ages of 18 and 40, battling cancer of any type. Continual programming for participants currently includes wellness retreats, support packages distributed in hospitals and cancer centres, local social gatherings, and post-secondary scholarships.
Why I Wanted to Volunteer with Pink Pearl
Pink Pearl is a volunteer-run organization. They would not be able to offer such amazing events and resources to young women without the help of a group full of dedicated and loyal volunteers. As a breast cancer survivor and past participant at Pink Pearl retreats, I felt a need to give back because I’ve benefited so much from the organization. In addition, not only would my event planning skills be put to good use but we were also able to take advantage of EventMobi’s app platform.
EventMobi’s Impact at the Pink Pearl Retreat
The app had a huge impact on the overall retreat experience. It allowed for the women to connect before, during, and after the event through the attendee profile and chat features. This made a world of difference in creating a community feel and enabling the women to make genuine connections with each other.
Most women attending the retreat were newly diagnosed and entering this world of cancer for the first time. Speaking from my own experience, this can be a very scary and intimidating time. The app allowed for the women to share their personal and professional stories related to their cancer diagnosis all in a safe place on the secured platform.
This opened the conversation between attendees before the actual event, which ran over three days. Women could familiarize themselves with the new faces and even reach out to their roommates ahead of time through the app to break the ice.
At the end of the retreat, the women were able to grab social media information through the app to avoid that awkward “can I have your number” moment at the end of the weekend.
As a past participant, I’ve already seen strong bonds that have formed amongst these women, and I can’t help but think that EventMobi’s app was the biggest facilitator for all these great connections.
What I Learned from Volunteering with Pink Pearl
Cancer can be a very lonely journey. Having tools such as a community app to facilitate opportunities for connections can make the experience that much easier. EventMobi’s event app has the ability to cater to a wide variety of event planner and attendee needs. When it comes down to it, creating genuine connections and gaining valuable information are why people attend events.
By volunteering with the Pink Pearl Retreat as a planner and having participated as an attendee previously, EventMobi’s app truly enabled the event to be the best retreat experience I’ve ever been to. I left the weekend with my heart feeling full. Thank you Eventmobi for supporting me in this amazing opportunity to give back.
Interested in working at EventMobi and helping us make an impact on the community? Find the perfect opportunity here: