The Visor

Hankins prepares for her last Extravaganza:Veteran Extravaganza organizer takes final bow

April 22, 2010

Lindsay Huth

Going, going, gone… to retirement! With the help of advancement office employees and volunteers, Extravaganza extraordinaire Diana Hankins is preparing for her last dinner and auction before leaving for retirement.

“It’s satisfying to see how great the parents and alumni are every year,” Hankins said. “I’m really going to miss all of that, and I told Marilyn [Stripe] that if I can I will come back to visit.”

Hankins began her career with the event volunteering for the first several years it was run. At that time it took place in May and featured about ten auction items. After that, she was hired and has now worked in the Advancement Office for 20 years.

Since then, much has changed. Extravaganza is held in the spring each year, and just three years ago auction software was purchased to manage reservations, seating arrangements and bidding.

“We bought the software at the last minute and threw it together,” Hankins said. “When we used it for the first time and it calculated the money we had earned, it was very satisfying.”

Planning for such an ambitious event begins soon after the previous one ends. At that time, dates for the coming year are chosen for the event that draws 420-450 guests annually. To decide the theme, every decorator brings an idea to a meeting, and, after narrowing them down to three, they vote. Nine to ten months are required to plan, and over 200 adult and 150 student volunteers make it possible.

“Working with the volunteers is the most rewarding part of the process,” Extravaganza coordinator Marilyn Stripe said. “We always try to have a little fun.”

Still, not every aspect is as easy and enjoyable.

“The organizing of the people’s donations to make sure they are properly documented is one of the hardest parts,” co-chairwoman Norma Shaub said. “We’re also adding an online auction this year which has been a bit of a challenge.”

Despite the drawbacks, Hankins has found her years working on Extravaganza to be rewarding.

“It is exciting but stressful,” Hankins said. “It is nice to see everything come together and how many people donate and make reservations even with the state of the economy.”

For Hankins, a well-run, pleasurable evening makes everything worth the struggle.

“Success is not just the money but people from the community meeting each other,” Hankins said.

Tags:

 Email This Post        Print This Post