Lindsay the Intern: (What Week is it Anyway?)

(This week our Intern mulls over all of the fun little details event planners get to deal with as we are three days out from our First Annual Summit Challenge. Pink flags, port-o-potties, and first aid-oh my!)

It seems that every great event starts as a grandiose idea.  “Wow, wouldn’t it be cool if we had a trail run fundraiser?” Of course when you think of such a large, seemingly simple, concept as a group of people walking or running up and down a mountain, the details and tedious planning elude even the most meticulous person.

I have learned that nothing is ever as simple or as neat as it seems. We started out milling over location ideas and permit applications; now it is pink flag placements, ticket boxes and trash bags. The development team has been working tirelessly to make sure every piece is in place for the big event. Maybe I am more of a big picture thinker, but I never even imagined having to worry about some of the things we are finding ourselves debating. Seeing this event through to the end has given me great perspective on what it takes to pull something off in a big way.

Among other things I have also discovered the value of teamwork and diversity amongst team members. Nobody is perfect at everything, having a variety of skills and abilities within a team can prove to be extremely helpful when planning such a huge event. Although each of the members has their own unique qualities, they all possess courage and creativity. It takes a brave person to build something from scratch without knowing the outcome ahead of time. Where there is the possibility of failure, one must be able to stay positive and persevere. The development team has done just that in their new ventures. Also, with limited time and budget concerns, the ability to think outside the box has served them well.

As a wise development member once said “The difference is in the details.”  I am confident that the Trail Run will be a success because no detail has been left uncovered thanks to the efforts of many awesome people. The event will take place this Saturday August 8^th at Mt. Pisgah, check our website for details! Hope to see you all out there!