Find A Cool Location & Create Your Guest List
Location location location! As important for a party as looking for a new home, we suggest you find a great space. Consider a local park, beach pavilion, or set up in your own backyard. After a year and some change inside, everyone wants to spread out in the sunshine, so be sure there are plenty of spots for all your guests. It is wise to base the amount of space you will need on the number of people you plan to invite.
State or city parks are great because many are free to use, and provide cool amenities like grills, picnic tables, pavilions, and bathrooms. A playground for the kids is always a crowd pleaser. Be sure to check with your local municipality or recreation department to make a reservation (if that is required and/or allowed), get a permit, and/or pay a reasonable deposit or fee. If it is first come, first serve, you may want a volunteer to go early in the day and stake out the location with some signage and decorations to hold your spot. If possible, include a map and detailed instructions on your invitation, and include a day-of contact number, so people can reach you if they are lost or have something come up.
Invite Your AND Our Friends - Publicizing Your Picnic
CCA is happy to share your picnic location and details with friends in your area. Our database is filled with families you may or may not know. Let us help invite people and publicize your picnic. We are here to help! For instance, if you require RSVPs, you can count on 85-90% of your “Yes” RSVPs to show up. If you do not require RSVPs, it will be harder to estimate a headcount, but the rule of thumb is that roughly only 30-50% of your total invite list will most likely be there on that beautiful day in September.
Pick A Day That Works For All
Some may say the date may be just as important as the location. Choose a day that avoids federal, local, and religious holidays. September is also back-to-school month, so be mindful of fall school events, too.
Food
Entertainment is vital for a poppin’ party. From music and crafting to sports and games -- pick what works best for your family and friends. Wiffle ball, an acoustic concert, a talent show, cookie decorating, face painters, a DJ, or painting “Kindness Rocks” are fabulous ways to keep your guests engaged.
In past CAM picnics, friends invited special guests to their events. A local celebrity (sports figure, local TV news personality, high school mascot), or local government representative (mayor, councilman, state senator), first responders (firefighters, police, and EMTs) could really give your CAM picnic the draw it needs to make a bigger impact.
Meet The Press
Invite the press using our CAM press release, and don’t be shy! We encourage you to tell your story. Posters filled with pictures and definitions created by your family about craniofacial conditions will showcase your journey. For an added bonus, share how CCA was able to help your family embrace the craniofacial journey.
Info, Flyers, and Posters, Oh My!
CAM picnics intend to promote awareness and acceptance! Make sure your guests leave informed! Contact Annie Reeves for CCA brochures, signage, newsletters, and other printed material that we can mail to you, free of charge. Folks will be able to bring them home to peruse throughout the year and share with their own teachers and librarians. Craniofacial Acceptance Month does not end in September. If you leave an enduring impression with your picnic, these resources will increase compassion and reduce the amount of teasing and questions in the years to come.
You’ve Got This! Document it with Photos
Have a great time! Take as many photos as possible or consider asking a photographer to volunteer their time for the day! After the big event, please email Annie ([email protected]) with a short description of the day’s events, exciting special guests, the yummy food you served, and a few (or all) photos you took, so we can publish them in our next E-Network newsletter, and watch our CCA family advocate acceptance in action.
Some may say the date may be just as important as the location. Choose a day that avoids federal, local, and religious holidays. September is also back-to-school month, so be mindful of fall school events, too.
Food
It can make or break a party! You have a few options here. For years, we had our picnickers bring their own brown bag lunches. It’s the easiest way to make sure everyone’s needs are accommodated, but you have to notify guests to BYOLunch on your invitation.
If you plan to provide food, first, thank you for your generosity! Make sure you have a wide variety of snacks from the savory to the sweet to keep your guests' mouths watering. Variety also allows your guests to decide what works best for their dietary needs and food sensitivities. (Just make sure you ask the location or look for signs that state what their policies are about bringing food to your picnic place! At the very least, you must assume you’re responsible for proper cleanup and disposal of all food and paper products.)
Another option is to have each family bring food in a potluck style. If you go this route, we suggest you create a Facebook event or Google form for your attendees to sign up for things to bring. You don’t want a party with 15 dips, and no chips! Don’t forget to have someone bring disposable cutlery, plates, and napkins!
Finally, many CCA families have had great luck contacting local eateries and supermarkets to see if they are willing to donate food from their stores. Bottled water is a popular donation item and will keep your guests hydrated on hot days. Many local BBQ restaurants are often amenable to this type of donation, and CCA is proud to have our local chain, Spring Creek Barbeque catering our picnic! (CCA can provide our tax exempt letter for charitable donations and sample request letters. Contact us for more information.)
Organize Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment & Activities
If you plan to provide food, first, thank you for your generosity! Make sure you have a wide variety of snacks from the savory to the sweet to keep your guests' mouths watering. Variety also allows your guests to decide what works best for their dietary needs and food sensitivities. (Just make sure you ask the location or look for signs that state what their policies are about bringing food to your picnic place! At the very least, you must assume you’re responsible for proper cleanup and disposal of all food and paper products.)
Another option is to have each family bring food in a potluck style. If you go this route, we suggest you create a Facebook event or Google form for your attendees to sign up for things to bring. You don’t want a party with 15 dips, and no chips! Don’t forget to have someone bring disposable cutlery, plates, and napkins!
Finally, many CCA families have had great luck contacting local eateries and supermarkets to see if they are willing to donate food from their stores. Bottled water is a popular donation item and will keep your guests hydrated on hot days. Many local BBQ restaurants are often amenable to this type of donation, and CCA is proud to have our local chain, Spring Creek Barbeque catering our picnic! (CCA can provide our tax exempt letter for charitable donations and sample request letters. Contact us for more information.)
Organize Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment is vital for a poppin’ party. From music and crafting to sports and games -- pick what works best for your family and friends. Wiffle ball, an acoustic concert, a talent show, cookie decorating, face painters, a DJ, or painting “Kindness Rocks” are fabulous ways to keep your guests engaged.
In past CAM picnics, friends invited special guests to their events. A local celebrity (sports figure, local TV news personality, high school mascot), or local government representative (mayor, councilman, state senator), first responders (firefighters, police, and EMTs) could really give your CAM picnic the draw it needs to make a bigger impact.
Meet The Press
Invite the press using our CAM press release, and don’t be shy! We encourage you to tell your story. Posters filled with pictures and definitions created by your family about craniofacial conditions will showcase your journey. For an added bonus, share how CCA was able to help your family embrace the craniofacial journey.
Info, Flyers, and Posters, Oh My!
CAM picnics intend to promote awareness and acceptance! Make sure your guests leave informed! Contact Annie Reeves for CCA brochures, signage, newsletters, and other printed material that we can mail to you, free of charge. Folks will be able to bring them home to peruse throughout the year and share with their own teachers and librarians. Craniofacial Acceptance Month does not end in September. If you leave an enduring impression with your picnic, these resources will increase compassion and reduce the amount of teasing and questions in the years to come.
You’ve Got This! Document it with Photos
Have a great time! Take as many photos as possible or consider asking a photographer to volunteer their time for the day! After the big event, please email Annie ([email protected]) with a short description of the day’s events, exciting special guests, the yummy food you served, and a few (or all) photos you took, so we can publish them in our next E-Network newsletter, and watch our CCA family advocate acceptance in action.
