1. Each Memorial Day weekend, the Westerville Sunrise Rotary
Club hosts the Field of Heroes. This event is an opportunity to
honor your personal heroes - whoever they are... a family member; a
friend; a veteran; a member of the armed services; a favorite
teacher; a police officer; a firefighter or any other person who
has made in impact on your life. The Field of Heroes offers a
unique and moving way to honor your heroes by flying a flag with a
custom tribute in a spectacular display of 3,000 American flags
across from the Westerville Community Center. Standing 8 feet tall
and measuring 3' x 5', the flags are situated in perfect rows to
create an inspirational display that visually represents each
individual hero joining together with others to form a
community.
2. Established in 2009 as a fundraiser 1,500 flags in a
rectangle Visitors purchase and dedicate flags for $30 Held an
opening ceremony Repeated due to popular demand 5,000 to 10,000
visitors per year Increased to 2,500 flags in 2012 Added programs,
community activities and complementary tributes since 2010
Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Tenth anniversary of 9/11 WWII
Wall of Stars
3. Became one of Westervilles largest events and attained a
very high profile in Rotary International Each year, purchasers
from more than a dozen different states shipped flags to as many as
90 zip codes in 19 states Garnered extensive media coverage each
year Approximately 28 stories totaling more than 31 minutes of
coverage for a total Nielsen audience of more than 2 million
viewers Received coverage on WCOL, in local newspapers, and
Columbus Dispatch
4. Required extraordinary volunteer support Numerous setup
activities in the weeks leading up to the event Around-the-clock
activity Friday AM through Monday PM More than 350 volunteer
shifts, averaging 3 hours each, staffed by nearly 200 volunteers
each year Treated as a self-sustaining community service activity
of the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Foundation 70% of revenues from
flag orders 5% miscellaneous 25% from business patron donations
(patrons also provide in-kind goods / services)
5. Challenge: How do we turn a series of successful one-time
events into a sustainable ongoing concern? Answer: Strategic /
Business Planning
6. Mission / Vision Statement Guiding Principles 3-Year
Strategic Plan Annual Event Business Plan
7. The Field of Heroes provides our community members with a
unique and moving opportunity to honor the heroes in their lives -
whether they are military, public safety, community volunteers or
another kind of personal inspiration. The Field of Heroes has
become the premier Memorial Day weekend event in central Ohio, and
will continue to develop into an event that will be one of the
Westerville community's signature events, will become a desired
annual tradition for our guests, and will provide our volunteers
with an experience they will never forget.
8. The meaning of the term hero and the connection of the event
to Memorial Day is a personal value; by providing respectful
opportunities to honor military, public service and other persons,
the Field of Heroes provides guests the opportunity to personalize
the event as they desire. The tone of the event is to be
respectful, reverent and reflective; too much activity, too casual
an atmosphere, or too prominent a corporate presence can distract
from the core mission of the event, and will not be permitted. The
club is responsible for delivering on the core functions of the
Field. Additional supplemental activities may enhance the
experience of being at the Field; however, to ensure core functions
can be delivered at the highest level of quality, supplemental
activities need to be developed and staffed by affiliate
organizations, under the general direction of the committee.
9. To deliver on the event mission, it is important to ensure a
positive environment: the Field of Heroes will not promote specific
causes or affiliations, nor will it directly or indirectly endorse
any particular political agenda. The primary intent of the event is
to provide guests an opportunity to join fellow community members
in reflecting on their personal heroes; other community events and
organizations are important and well-intentioned; however, if they
do not directly support the Field of Heroes programming plan, they
may not have a presence at the event.
10. 1. Provide a unique and moving signature community event 2.
Respectfully honor all heroes: fallen, living veterans and actively
serving military, as well as public servants and civilians 3.
Become a desired annual tradition for our guests 4. Provide
volunteers with an experience they will never forget 5. Build and
maintain a sustainable brand, organization and event business
model
11. Strategies Tactics Responsible Present a spectacular visual
display Display decorative flags down Cleveland Ave. and in north
field, for a total of 3,000 flags Field Setup and Field Operations
Provide a superior visitor experience Promote meaningful volunteer
interaction with guests as guides, to take pictures, to welcome and
invite guests to share stories Visitor Experience Enhance visitor
comfort amenities, including shelter from the sun/heat Visitor
Experience Enhance the visible environment, making
back-of-the-house support operations as invisible as possible
Visitor Experience, Field Operations 1. Provide a unique and moving
signature community event
12. Strategies Tactics Responsible Supplement the flag field
and on-stage programming with themed displays and activities
supporting the event mission/vision Provide programming space and
time slot for Boy Scouts flag retirement ceremony Community
Engagement Provide opportunity for American Legion tribute to
fallen troops Community Engagement Connect with military and public
safety personnel and their families Provide meaningful flag
donation opportunities that tie to the event mission and support
related groups Community Engagement 2. Respectfully honor all
heroes: fallen, living veterans and actively serving military, as
well as public servants and civilians
13. Strategies Tactics Responsible Provide inspirational
entertainment / informational programming opportunities at the
event Present high-quality opening and closing ceremonies Programs
Read names of all heroes honored daily Programs Present a Saturday
evening concert targeted at families Programs Supplement
programming with selected activities presented by others in support
of the event mission/vision Tie-ins to Westerville history / heroes
will be presented Community Engagement Partnering with other
groups, provide an appropriate and exciting complementary feature
event in conjunction with the flag display Select a feature that
supports the event mission/vision, honoring military or other
heroes Community Engagement Include elements of the complementary
feature in on- stage programming Programs 3. Become a desired
annual tradition for our guests
14. Strategies Tactics Responsible Effectively utilize the
skills of volunteers Target recruitment to fill specific needs
throughout the weekend Volunteer Services Provide opportunities for
volunteers of various ages / capabilities Volunteer Services Reward
those who choose to spend their valuable time volunteering at the
Field Enhance volunteer comfort efforts Volunteer Services Provide
recognition for return volunteers Volunteer Services 4. Provide
volunteers with an experience they will never forget
15. Strategies Tactics Responsible Establish the Field of
Heroes as the place to be during Memorial Day weekend Promote the
event effectively and respectfully through social and traditional
media Marketing, Media Relations and Social Media Leverage city and
other community resources to promote the event Marketing Expand
non-club sponsorships and donated services to create a sustainable
financial structure Provide valuable recognition for patrons at the
event, in print and with something they can display at their place
of business Patron Relations Achieve flag sales targets (850
[purchases + donations + dedications]) Promote through ads and
special event street team efforts Marketing and Media Relations
Reduce errors in on-site and on-line order entry to reduce customer
frustration Customer Service and Order Fulfillment Generate
ancillary earned income to cover costs Generate revenue through
ancillary sales and special events Customer Service and Race Team
5. Build and maintain a viable brand, organization and business
model
16. 5. Build and maintain a viable brand, organization and
business model Expand the capacity, image and sustainability of the
committee and event Expand delegation of responsibilities and
succession planning efforts, recruiting sub- committee leaders for
commitments of 2 to 3 years Administration Engage community leaders
from outside the club to serve on a Community Advisory Board,
providing input, guidance and assistance to the committee
Administration Leverage and enhance systems previously developed
for flag assembly, field layout and construction, order processing,
and field tear-down to continue to make operations more time and
labor efficient Field Setup, Field Operations, Volunteer Services,
Customer Service, Order Fulfillment
17. Committee / Staffing Plan Operations Plan Marketing Plan
Financial Plan