The Most Awful Fundraiser Experience
During my freshman year, my dad pushed me to join a sport, and since I love swimming, I opted for that. Everything was going smoothly until we were hit with a mandatory fundraiser because the school didn’t provide enough funding for the swim team.
I was assigned to work at Applebee’s, which wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t meant getting up at 6:40 a.m. on a Saturday! My role was as the host, although there were three positions to fill: busser, host, and waiter.
What made it even more frustrating was the tipping policy—any tips we received had to go directly to the swim team. To add insult to injury, we didn’t even earn community service hours for our trouble, and participation was non-negotiable.
Since it was Saturday, my parents could drop me off but couldn’t come back to pick me up, making the situation even tougher. And believe it or not, we didn’t get a single perk for our time there—not even free food. If we wanted to eat, we had to pay out of our own pockets!
Honestly, I felt this whole experience was unfair and frustrating. It ended up being a huge waste of time for our swim team. This is not how you run a successful fundraiser!
Oh, and I have to mention the comment about calling in to work if you have a job. Seriously? They act like this is more important than an actual paid job. I don’t have a job yet, but I’d choose a job that pays me any day over this!
It sounds like you had a really rough experience with that fundraiser! It’s frustrating when you’re expected to contribute so much without any reward or recognition, especially when it interferes with your personal time and commitments. The lack of tips and free food is definitely a bummer, and it’s understandable to feel undervalued.
I can see why you’d feel that working at Applebee’s was more of a burden than a benefit, especially since it seems like the fundraiser didn’t consider your time and effort. It’s important for fundraisers to create a positive experience for participants, and it seems that this one did the exact opposite.
I also hear you on the “call in off” comment. It’s unrealistic to expect people to prioritize a volunteer event over their actual jobs, which they rely on for income. Balancing responsibilities is tough, and it sounds like this fundraiser didn’t take that into account at all. Hopefully, your next experience with fundraising will be much more enjoyable and rewarding!