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The Red Shoe Society

RMHC of the Carolinas wanted to recruit more young professionals as volunteers, donors, and advocates.

But they recognized that they needed a unique hook to engage them – something that would make the Charity and its supporters stand out. They had idea: red shoes – a clever and defining way for young professionals to make a fashionable footprint in their community.

The Chapter established the Red Shoe Society – a group of young professional advocates, volunteers and fundraisers for the Charity, whose signature was sporting red shoes to all meetings, activities and events. The creative approach to community engagement caught on and enticed more and more members to join.  

The registration fee to be part of the club is $89 – representing the cost to cover a family’s night stay at a Ronald McDonald House. In the first quarter of the year alone, RMHC of the Carolinas recruited 100 individual members, contributing $8,900 to the Chapter, enough to provide 100 night stays for families looking to stay close by their child in the hospital.  

Throughout the year, the Society organizes various events, activities, and fundraisers to support the Charity. They’ve put on a galas, organized networking nights, volunteered, and attended every RMHC of the Carolinas event.

The group continues to connect, collaborate, and reach new members in the community through Facebook, an engaging website, email messages, and of course, their shoes. The idea – combining fashion, exclusivity, and differentiation – ignited the support of the next generation of RMHC of the Carolinas ambassadors, advocates and donors, and helped keep sales of red shoes in the black.

Several other RMHC Chapters also have started Red Shoe Societies, seeking to court the next generation of supporters. To find out if you have a Red Shoe Society in your community, contact your local Chapter.  

Comments (1)|(Hide)

  • Sandy Zygarlicke

    15/02/2012 11:00am

    What a fabulous program. Hope to get a Red Shoe Society started at the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield.

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