As many know, last year I got to meet and get my picture taken with my Russell Crowe. I was beaming for a week and even now, when I feel down, I just have to look at that picture of us to cheer myself up.
That’s the kind of glow I have now after a super successful SactoMoFo. After nine months of planning, it went off superbly. And to think that as of late January, we hadn’t yet had our County permit meeting and I was stressing. Yes, we actually pulled it off in just three months.
 | |
| SactoMoFo tweetup |
Each of us had our strengths. Joshua had the vision and the political background. He also provided the graphic design. I handled fundraising, social media and the out of town trucks. Paul handled the local trucks, politics, and did a great job of keeping Joshua and I from killing each other. LOL. And Costa, he provided the background and much needed assistance in dealing with the permits and the agencies.
When you hold a first time event, especially one that revolves around a political issue, it’s a challenge to find sponsors. It was a real struggle and I don’t know anyone who likes to fundraise. After all, there’s a lot of rejection in fundraising. But I thank the skies above for Whole Foods willing to be the big sponsor and Roseville VW for seeing the possibilities. Without their sponsorships early on I would have been too depressed to continue asking. I have the satisfaction of knowing that next year, companies will be begging to sponsor us!
The best thing about SactoMoFo has been the fun. It was fun leading up to it and engaging everyone via Facebook and Twitter. I will miss that as things cool off significantly til the next one. Better yet, the event itself was wildly fun. Really, there’s been hardly any bitching. The lines were long and some people just said “forget it” and turned away, but even those people still wrote positive things about us. We got compliments on the organization, the atmosphere, and just our overall success.
People have all sorts of comments for the next one. A bigger location and more trucks is a given, we know. But I have to say, I’m glad we did it alcohol free and will probably do so again. When you think of it logically, the happy vibe from the day had a lot to do with the no alcohol. Imagine standing in line for two hours, empty stomach, in the sun, drinking. People would have gotten angry and rowdy and there probably would have been a fight or two. Without it families felt safe and everybody was social with their neighbors. The police said it was the best event they ever had to work.
I’m often asked, “What’s in it for you?” I’m always stumped by that question. None of us got anything in return for this except happiness. I'm constantly thinking of how I can take something like this that I'm passionate about and turn it into a business. Perhaps something will come of it. But for now, I'm just happy I got to be a part of something so cool. It truly is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.
6 comments:
Are you delusional? Hundreds of people walked away without food. How can you consider that a success? No alcohol next year? How many parents did you see at the event? None would stay and make their kids wait for hours to eat. Your self-proclaimed "foodie" status has really gone to your head.
Great job to you and the entire SactoMoFo Team.
I'm a big believer in what food trucks can offer and a huge fan of OfftheGridSF. Thanks for all the hard work this past year and showing Sacramento what is possible... -Suzanne Phan, News10
Yes, I do call it a success. There were tons of families there. You are apparently blind or you didn't even go and are just ranting. Plus the fact that we've gotten overwhelming positive feedback. How are we a success? Because our goal is to get the city ordinances changed. Guess what? Tonite Rob Fong is asking that the ordinances be amended. So yes, SUCCESS!!!
I think you, Paul, Joshua and all the volunteers who helped spread the word and control those crazy lines deserve a HUGE pat on the back for a job well done. Sure, some people (yours truly included) left without trying all the awesome food, but that's just the point: even with those insane waiting times, people were still willing to brave the lines. Why? Because we want this type of business & sense of community to become a bigger part of Sacramento, not just be on the fringes!
We all sent a message and it was loud & clear. And THAT'S what truly makes this event a success.
Don't even bother responding to the first comment, the event was a huge success and you have already proved it. As far as the lines go, i thought that was the whole point, to show the city just how many of us there are! Sure the festival itself was a lot of fun and a great idea but the main motivation is to get the city to let us have our food trucks, so, the longer the lines the better!! Thank you so much for putting your time and energy into this, I have the feeling that you (we) will get out way with an ordinance change! PS I happily waited on line watching all the many families and babies and chatting with my neighbors and the food was worth it :)
Awesome job to you Catherine and all the rest of the organizers/volunteers! I had a WONDERFUL time and enjoyed food from Chairman Bao, Seol on Wheels, Mama Kim's and Fat Face! It was also nice meeting you at the tweet up and seeing you again at the event. I completely agree about the alcohol free part... :)
Kristen
Post a Comment