Sharing Big in The Big Share

By Jenny King

Chrysalis participated in the Community Shares of Wisconsin Big Share fundraising event on Tuesday, March 2nd.  We started out with a goal of raising $6,000 for our #AntiStigma Programs and by 10am had exceeded that goal ended up with a total of $10,813!  Read below to hear some feedback about the event, including Dani who jumped in the Yahara River and KZ who shaved her head because we hit some massive fundraising goals!

“It was so incredible to participate in The Big Share and feel such a strong sense of community even over a virtual platform. I thought the Chrysalis staff and community engagement was amazing. I even had a friend who is a professional in communications reach out to ask how we were able to pull it off. It was super cool to let her know it was a true team effort and everyone played a part. It’s incredible to get to work alongside so many passionate, creative, and fun people. A huge shout-out to the Chrysalis community and all our supporters. THANK YOU!!!!” 

~ Dani Rischall, Chrysalis Executive Director 

“One moment, I’m muttering “I’ll shave my head” during a Big Share planning conversation with my Social Butterfly committee colleagues, and the next moment, I’m sitting in my kitchen, with the dog grooming tool getting dangerously close to my hair. I really had no idea what to expect from this year’s Big Share, but was pleasantly surprised how fun it was to build such a sense of community during this virtual event. I thought we set a rather ambitious fundraising goal with some very creative ways to showcase our fun-loving and playful sides. Despite my “hair grows” thinking, I was feeling a bit nervous about actually losing my locks, but with the support (and banter) from the Facebook live folks, it was way more fun and interactive than I imagined.  Two things I learned from this experience are: there are many different interpretations of “shaved head” and be careful what you mutter under your breath! And finally, the thing I always knew but was reminded of during this year’s Big Share, my Chrysalis colleagues and the supporters of Chrysalis are an incredible bunch of humans.”

-Kathy Zeigert, CCS Supervisor/Clubhouse Director