For non-profit groups looking for a new way to raise money for their cause, Aramark is offering volunteer opportunities at Buccaneers home games at Raymond James Stadium in 2016. Many of the 1,000-plus workers Aramark has on a game day are volunteering at concession stands to raise money for a good cause.
Groups that volunteer at each home game have proven to be successful in their fundraising efforts in the past. Last season, volunteers earned up to $35,000 per group from their efforts volunteering at Raymond James Stadium.
Michele Flynn of the Durant Music Boosters has been a part of Aramark's program for the past 11 seasons and has seen it have a profound impact on her non-profit organization. Over the past decade, she has used proceeds from volunteering at the stadium to fund trips for Durant High School's competitive marching band.
"There's not a lot of money for music programs in schools any longer," said Flynn. "We're a competitive marching band – we compete throughout the state and we try to make the state finals and stuff like that and it costs hundreds of dollars every year for each student that's in the program. Aramark's program is one of the ways that we can offset our cost.
"We also use it to fundraise for trips to send our students on. This year in December our students are traveling to Hawaii to participate in the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It's a $2,800 trip per person. A lot of us can't afford for our students to be a part of the program or to be a part of the trips that we go on without help from Aramark and Raymond James Stadium."
Flynn's group is one of many that have had success through Aramark's program. Each game almost 60 non-profit organizations fundraise for their worthy causes, including supporting research against muscular dystrophy and other diseases, youth sports, bands, and other activities.
There are still opportunities for non-profit organizations to register to volunteer at games this season. Those interested can contact Katie Abbott, ARAMARK's non-profit coordinator, by phone at 813-350-6425. She can also be reached by email at Abbott-Kathryn@aramark.com.
