LUCK OF THE IRISH!

ST PATRICK’S DAY – 17TH MARCH

Despite all of the festive clichés, St. Patrick’s Day is a great day to host a fundraiser. Why? Because half the work is already done for you—the theme is already set, the traditional games are decided and most people will not need much convincing to take part in a bit of merriment! So if you plan to put all of your lucky fundraising coins in one pot of gold this year, choose March 17th, and bless your charity event with the luck of the Irish.

FOR THE ADULTS

Irish Jig
What is a good Irish party without an Irish band or traditional dancing? If you can’t afford to pay for entertainment and you can’t find it on a volunteer basis, burn yourself a good collection of Irish tunes just for the occasion. You can charge per ticket for entrance to the festivities.

Traditional Irish Grub
Whip up Irish favorites such as corn beef hash, Irish stew, steak and potatoes, or green grub galore using food dye—such as lucky mashed potatoes, clover shaped sandwiches, mint cakes, and leprechaun shaped cookies. Those of legal age can wash it all down with a special Irish green brew for a minimum donation.

Is it Truth or Blarney
This game is fun because it tests guest’s skill at weaving the perfect fish tale. Ask a small group of individuals to tell a funny story to the crowd—the only catch is that no one knows whether it is truth or blarney. The guests will be asked to make bets after each story to the true or false nature of the tale. This can be done in auction style or double or nothing style.

Kiss the Blarney Stone
Set up a spot for people to kiss the stone and make a wish (for a donation of course). This game acts much like a wishing well.

FOR THE KIDS

Count the Lucky Clovers
Fill a jar with cut-out four-leaf clovers (or clover-shaped sweets if you can find them) and put it on display in a prominent area in your local school or youth club facility. Ask for a donation for each chance to guess the number of clovers in the jar. The person who is closest wins a donated prize.

Pop the Green Balloon for a Prize
Fill green balloons with lucky messages, but put a gift certificate in one lucky balloon. Ask for a donation of  your choice for their chance to pop a balloon.

Grab the Four-leaf Clover
Who will be lucky enough to pick the four-leaf clover from the box of standard three-leaf varieties? Take the time to cut out a bunch of not-so-lucky shamrocks, but make sure to craft one lucky one with four. Ask for a donation of your choice for people to try their luck at the draw.

Spot the Lucky Leprechaun
Cut out small and large cardboard cutouts of lucky little men, and in “Where’s Wally” tradition, send the kids out in teams to hunt for the leprechauns. When they find one, they can record its whereabouts on a tracking sheet. The team with the most spottings at the end of an hour wins the prize.