If this past year has taught us anything, it is that through true times of hardship, the community is the key to perseverance. For over 50 years, Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center has been a pillar of the San Francisco community — providing recreational, vocational, and educational opportunities for people with disabilities. Through this, Pomeroy has been able to bring people from all backgrounds together and create a strong community centered around respect, diversity, and inspiring people with disabilities to live a full life.

Each year, Pomeroy Center hosts an annual banquet and fundraiser – Banner of Love – to help raise funds for all the weekly programming they provide to their students/clients. It is a highlight of the Pomeroy Calendar as all members of the community come together to celebrate, have a good time, and most of all, help those in need. 

2020 had been a tough year for all of us. Finding strength in the community was more important than ever. To bring the same level of support before the pandemic, the Pomeroy Center wanted to make sure that their community was taken care of, despite the physical distance. So we decided to pivot their annual banquet and fundraiser – Banner of Love – to a virtual event that was fun, engaging, interactive, and that sent a reminder to their community that during these unprecedented times, we are family!

This is where the Make it Mariko Team came in!

We were tasked with creating a virtual event that reflected the Pomeroy community’s spirit and energy. Here’s how we did it:

Bringing The Community (Back) Together!

Before 2020, Pomeroy had always been a center of the community. Members and staff were always coming together regularly. However, due to the pandemic, that sense of community and regular interaction was lost. We wanted to bring that back. 

Via Gatherly, we were able to give Pomeroy Community Members a (virtual) space to move outside the confines of their home and meet and mingle with one another. Many of the attendees haven’t seen each other in over a year!

Showcasing Their Best

Pomeroy is always finding new ways to support their community. Even though the event was centered on fundraising, we also wanted to spotlight the incredible people who make Pomeroy what it is.

For the event, we worked with Pomeroy students/clients to feature their art and create an immersive experience to accompany the silent auction so guests could watch their art being created in real-time. 

The Results

  • Over $30,000 was raised – just shy of Pomeroy’s Goal.
  • 200+ of people who attended

The Vendors

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