What are you doing with the funds raised?

Huntsville Mom Prom is less than a month away! It’s time to purchase our tickets, pick a dress, and plan for a babysitter (or your significant other to watch the kids) for this fun-filled ladies night! Huntsville Mom Prom is a fundraiser benefiting ICAN of Huntsville. We have received a few questions asking about our plans with the money raised, so we decided to do a little blog post.

1. Lending Library. ICAN of Huntsville was organized in July 2013. Within the year, we have experienced tremendous growth and we have found that there is a need for a place for women to check out birth-related resource: books, DVDs, audio CDs, etc. Our current library has very limited items and we do not have the funds to expand it yet. We hope to add to our library after Mom Prom.

2.Informational Brochures/Community Outreach. Many ICAN chapters have been able to place informational brochures at hospitals and doctors’ offices. These informational brochures come at a minimal cost, but our funds have not allowed us to place them in places that we wish to place. We also hope to be able to have booths at more events.  Many of these events charge a vendor fee, some of which have been prohibitive in the past. We hope to spread our mission little by little and the brochures and booths are a way to get the word out.

3. Doula Scholarships. Many mothers receive the advice to hire a doula for their births. Doulas are emotional and physical support persons that are there for you for your labor and delivery. Doulas also provide postpartum care for the mother. They are a wonderful resource for comfort and information at a time that can be exciting and scary. They do, however, come at a cost and we have found that many mothers are not able to afford a doula. As part of ICAN’s mission to improve maternal-child health, we believe finances should not come in the way of a mother’s ideal birth plan. We hope to offer as many scholarships as possible and that will depend heavily on the funds we raise at Mom Prom.

We thank you for your support for ICAN’s mission and we look forward to having fun on the night of Huntsville Mom Prom!

ICAN international has written a piece on their blog about Mom Proms that have already taken place!  Check it out or read below!

ICAN Celebrates Women- Mom Prom

If you haven’t heard yet, ICAN has had a lot of fun the past couple of months with local chapters across the country hosting Mom Proms! What’s a mom prom?! Exactly what it sounds like… a night of dancing, food, and friends. It’s a night out, just for the girls, and each chapter added its own little flair. Some were themed, some included dinner & drinks, and all had a wonderful time. Here’s a story from one chapter:

The Central Florida Mom Prom was on April 26th, 2014, benefiting ICAN of Orlando, ICAN of East Central Florida, and ICAN of Brevard. It was a wild success. The inaugural event, held at the Radisson UCF in Orlando, sold out their 150 tickets two full days ahead of time! Guests enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres like Mini-Beef Wellingtons and Coconut Shrimp. Local bakers donated a variety of amazing desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth. In addition to a DJ and a photobooth, guests had the opportunity to bid on over 60 items (including items like Walt Disney World passes and a private wine tasting for 20 people) available in our raffle and silent auction. Even the bartenders got into the charitable spirit with the insanely popular signature drink, the Lasso of Truth Martini, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the event. Right before the end, we crowned our inaugural Prom Queen, with the winner taking home almost $700 in prizes!

The Central Florida Mom Prom was an incredible opportunity to not only reconnect with some fervent, local ICAN supporters, but also to introduce the organization to women throughout the Central Florida area.  With our event information published in magazines, newspapers, and online blogs, we were able to reach and connect with new audiences like never before.  The Safe Motherhood Quilt was displayed and provided a solemn counterpoint to the festivities by raising awareness of the rising maternal mortality rates in the United States.

Due to the incredible generosity of local and national sponsors, our attendees, and planners, we were able to host a flawless, high-quality event, ‘celebrating the superhero in all women,’ while raising over $12,300 for our local ICAN chapters.  All of the décor was themed around superheroes, while providing statistics and information on the birth climate in the local area. We are already looking forward to growing this event and raising even more money next year, and we hope to see all of you there!

Regina leading the “Mom Prom Dance”

Here are some of the things attendees said about the prom…

“… fabulous event…”
“… best mom’s night out ever…”
“Can’t wait until next year!! “
“Beautiful job. Seriously amazing. I had a kick ass time!! “
“When do tickets go back on sale???”

Did your local ICAN chapter have a Mom Prom? We’d love to hear about it! If not, express your interest to your chapter leaders and maybe next year you can throw one awesome party!

Need a Dress for Huntsville Mom Prom?

~~~~PLEASE READ- UPDATED DATE/TIME~~~~

Due to 2 other events scheduled that day Mom Prom Shop-a-Thon will be held FRIDAY AUGUST 1ST 4-6pm.

Join us for the Mom Prom Shop-a-Thon on August 1st! 4pm-6pm at A Nurturing Moment. Make a donation to ICAN “shop” for your fierce fashion for Huntsville Mom Prom!

Have an old bridesmaids dress, prom gown, or wedding frock sitting in the closet? Donate it! We are also taking donations of shoes and accessories, so clean out those closets, ladies!  All donations go to support ICAN of Huntsville so donate a dress and come shop with us!

Drop off days:

July and August ICAN of Huntsville meeting

July Rocket City Sling Swap meetup

Kidventure’s Anniversary Celebration Friday July 11th

July 28th-August 1st, 8am-5pm at Boy Scouts of America office: 2211 Drake Avenue SW  Huntsville, Alabama 35805

For more information or to schedule a drop off contact Jessica Molepske : jmolepske.photography@gmail.com