Fundraising with flamboyance: Why flamingos are appearing at local businesses

A group of flamingos outside of BBSI at the Snake River Landing | Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com IDAHO FALLS — A flamboyance, what a group of flamingos is called, has started to appear outside local businesses since Monday to help raise money for a local nonprofit. The fundraiser by Developmental Workshop Inc. is called Flamingo Flocking. Businesses that are “flocked” with plastic flamingos can pay a “ransom” to have the birds removed from their property and can also pay to send them to a different business of their choosing. According to DWI’s website, businesses can also pay for options that include branding of their businesses when the birds are taken to their next destination. There is also a “flocking insurance” option, which can be purchased to prevent birds from landing outside. A chart showing the prices to send a group of flamingos to a business and cost to remove them | Courtesy DWI Glenn Guzman, sales and marketing manager for DWI, told EastIdahoNews.com the idea for the flamingos came to life as a way to help raise interest in the nonprofit’s golf tournament fundraiser in August. He said he had never heard of it, but when DWI began to put out the flamingos on Monday, it coincided with National Pink Flamingo Day. “Nobody knew these things sort of aligned for some reason,” Guzman said. “We wanted it to draw attention to the golf tournament, but it’s turning into its own little world in itself.” So far, the Bank of Commerce, Tobin Restoration and BBSI are the three businesses that have been flocked. Guzman said the funds will go to the DWI Foundation, which was established in the 1990s to support DWI and its programs. He said DWI itself was created in the early 1970s when locals got together and formed the nonprofit as a way to help individuals in the community who have disabilities or special needs. DWI offers vocational training to help these community members gain independence, find employment within the community, develop new skills and provide them with activities to engage in throughout the day. With its foundation helping to raise funds, Guzman said the flamingo flocking is a way for them to find new ways to fundraise, as they understand that future government funding cuts could impact them. “We appreciate the support, especially from the businesses who have been flocked, and we look forward to being out there a little bit more with other businesses,” Guzman said. DWI’s Foundation Golf Tournament is scheduled to take place on Aug. 7 at Sage Lakes Golf Courses. Guzman said the Flamingo Flocking will continue for the next few weeks to continue to raise funds ands promote the tournament. To learn more about DWI and the Flamingo Flocking event, visit dwinc.org. The post Fundraising with flamboyance: Why flamingos are appearing at local businesses appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com