Girls Night In
Raising money for women’s cancers - a Girls Night In should be something you love to do.
Whatever it is you and your girlfriends do to enjoy each others company counts as a Girls Night In. Like a lot of women, you're probably up to your ears in work, family and a never-ending 'to do' list. Keep your event simple, or get some help. The important thing to remember is that you're getting together to connect with your girlfriends and contribute what you can.
If you're unable to host a Girls Night In this year you can still make a real difference by making a donation.
Event ideas:
Stay in!
Are you the kind of person who loves to share her home with her best friends? It’s a wonderfully personal way to give something of yourself. You have total creative freedom and can make it as lavish or as low key as you like.
Cook up a storm!
Do you have a couple of recipes that the men in your life just don’t appreciate? You know the ones. Subtle flavours, small portions, maybe even a wicked dessert. Who better to serve it to than the women you’d most like to enjoy it with?
Fundraising suggestion:
Invite them over and ask them to donate the appropriate “going-out-for-dinner” amount to Girls Night In. Your friends will be impressed, and so will Cancer Council.
Order in take-away
You might be one of those women who have so much going on, that the thought of another night in the kitchen just doesn’t count as relaxation. Don’t sweat it. Get you local home delivery or take-away restaurant to do what they do best so you can concentrate on "girl time".
Fundraising suggestion:
You can split the bill and then match your spend as a donation to Girls Night In. It’s still a low cost way to spend quality time with the girls.
Arrange a caterer
It costs a bit more, but having a professional prepare and serve a gourmet meal is a luxury that busy women appreciate more than anyone else. They’ll even clean up!
Fundraising suggestion:
Nominate a suitable ‘ticket price’ and ask your guests to pay that into your Girls Night In.
Combine forces and ask your friends to bring a plate
When everyone chips in, there’s often a less stress. Especially if you have a couple of girlfriends who really can work miracles in the kitchen. It can be fun to set a theme – such as a cuisine type or key ingredient. You might want to task each person with a different course (appetiser, entrée, main course, dessert, cheese platter etc). It’s your Girls Night In, so do it your way!
Fundraising suggestion:
Your fellow chefs can nominate a value for their dish – or another one and donate that amount to your Girls Night In.
Have a Play!
Remember board games? While there are plenty of scrabble fanatics out there, some of us haven’t played a board game in years. It doesn’t need to be a game in a box – you can try Charades, Pictionary, Celebrity Head or a crazy game of your own creation. Your girlfriends are often the only people that let you make a fool of yourself and love you because of it. So let loose and have some real fun.
There are tons of things that are ideal for girls who stay in:
- Organise a book club (even if it’s just a one-off) and contribute the price of the book to Girls Night In.
- Arrange a hair & beauty treatment – do your own or organise a professional. Your donation could be the price of a professional treatment.
- Sit on the couch and watch a DVD and donate the cost of a ‘gold class’ movie ticket.
- Have a guided meditation session and donate the value of a class to Girls Night In.
- Arrange a private yoga class and contribute cost of your regular class to Girls Night In.
It started as a relatively small initiative where friends got together at home and donated what they could to Cancer Council for their research, prevention and support programs.
This small initiative has grown since then and Girls Night In now raises over $4million each year, as many women embrace it as a great excuse to catch up with their girlfriends and reconnect in the name of a good cause.
