Fall is in the air, and AIS Media kicked off the season right with an exciting HumpDay Mixer, a fun after-work social, occasionally held on Wednesdays, where professionals mingle and support great causes.
The event was founded by AIS Media, Inc. CEO, Thomas Harpointner, and is successfully organized through partnerships with prominent social clubs, businesses, and individuals.
At this mixer, my coworkers and I were joined by hundreds of local professionals at the popular social venue, Havana Club.
Our fall event raised money for the upcoming PurpleStride Atlanta, a 5K walk/run to end pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest average survival rates of all forms of cancer, taking the lives of 91% of all people diagnosed. That is only a 9% chance of survival! So, I felt this was a great cause for us to support.
At every HumpDay Mixer, we seek guest speakers to help raise awareness for the cause. Speakers for our fall mixer were Mark Gelinas and Teona Ducre, both pancreatic cancer survivors themselves.
Mark is a 3-time pancreatic cancer survivor. His PurpleStride Team GELSTRONG walks to raise money to honor him and his fight, in an effort to end the horrible disease. On the night of the event, Mark spoke about his unique battle with pancreatic cancer, and how his story impacts the lives around him.
Teona is the Atlanta affiliate chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Her PurpleStride team, Mr. D’s Groupies, inspired attendees to make a difference in the lives of others afflicted by this disease. At the mixer, Teona spoke of her cancer battle, blessed to survive while battling tremendous odds so she could see her son play in his championship football game.
PurpleStride Atlanta 2017
PurpleStride walks are held annually, all across the country. PurpleStride comes to Atlanta on November 11, 2017. The opening ceremonies kick off at the Georgia World Congress Center, Exhibit Hall C4 at 7:30AM. To learn more about this event, reach out to Kathryn Evans at [email protected] or visit the Atlanta page.
Money raised from this event is the largest source of funding for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
Special Acknowledgment to Our Partners
Partners for the fall HumpDay Mixer included Havana Club, the Atlanta Social Club, Casting TaylorMade, ChuckyFoto, and Dylan York.
As part of Buckhead’s vibrant nightlife, Havana Club is typically only open on Friday and Saturday nights. For our cause, they graciously opened and donated their venue, and provided full security and bar staff.
Members of Atlanta Social Club and Casting TaylorMade supported the volunteer effort for this event. Well-known Atlanta photographers ChuckyFoto and Dylan York offered their services and high-end equipment to the event. While guests were encouraged to capture their own photos and live streams for Facebook, ChuckyFoto and Dylan York ensured that professional photography was also on the scene. Browse our full photo booth gallery on Facebook or Instagram.
Zest Atlanta Catering generously donated their delicious food at the event. Ketel One provided each guest with their first drink, colored purple in honor of PurpleStride.
Special Thanks to Our Donors
Several companies generously donated raffle prizes for us to auction, including W Atlanta, Karma Tequila, Luc Belaire Rosé, Sep “Scissorhands” Gerami from Salon Encore & Greco, NARS Cosmetics, Sono Bello Laser Lipo & Cellulite, Posh Diamond Gallery, and Bangkok Boxing Kickboxing Dojo.
We also received a cash donation from employees at The Boeing Company and other individuals. Havana Club donated a portion of their bar proceeds. Altogether, over $3,600 was donated to Purple Stride.
Special Thanks to Our HumpDay Mixer Hosts
I want to extend special thanks to Thomas Harpointner, the CEO of AIS Media and the founder of HumpDay. “Rafflemeister” Todd Tankersley, photographer Dylan York, Atlanta Social Club members Heather Taylor, Ash Serrano, Eleni Bafas, and Alea Bennett, Team GELSTRONG speaker Mark Gelinas, PCAN representative and speaker Teona Ducre, and hostess Kaitlyn Gage also helped facilitate the entire event and were instrumental in its success.
I would like to thank all of you who attended, donated, and enjoyed our fall HumpDay Mixer. I hope to see you at PurpleStride on November 11th at GWCC or at the next HumpDay event.
For more information and to receive an invite to future events, follow HumpDay Mixer on Facebook or Instagram.
