Main St. Belongs To The Community
How Business Owners with Big Ideas, Created Big Results
& Helped a Lot of People in The Process
Newtown Business Owners Raise upwards of $70,000 for Main St.
Newtown Block Party and Mr. Bucks County Fashion Show for Main St. 2023
Newtown Borough Police Sgt. Sean Orr, second from left, is crowned Mr. Bucks County by, from left, Chadd Levine, Gina Santoro and Mark Gatta. (Jeff Werner)
Let me give some exposition before I dive into what I have coined “The Newtown Phenomenon”
Main St. is in the midst of a very active month with nearly 20 events and 135 sponsors and partners. We’ve helped over 1500 local breast cancer patients, we’re in 8 locations across Bucks County and we are eclipsing $500,000 raised. Achievements we could have only dreamt of when we first began, which is a good place to start...
THE BEGINNING
When we launched our small family run non-profit in 2018 (then Pine2Pink), we had a clear vision and a real desire to create something unique. So the rules we followed were our own. In our eyes the fundraising landscape was a bit antiquated and we set out to reimagine the space. We tried not to build on old traditions and devices and protocols, but instead innovate.
Attributes that were, and are, important to us:
Remain hyper local
Embrace the entire month; give people the ability to tap in-and-out of participation over 31 days.
Be transparent about who is helped, when they are helped, where they are help, why they are helped and how they are helped.
Have a clear call-to-action, so there are no dead ends and everything we do has a purpose and motivates an “action”.
Be visceral, immersive, engaging and experience based. You see and feel the pink lights, you engage with local businesses in a meaningful way, you play the app with your family, you create and share your own content about Main St. and our efforts!
Empower people to take ownership. We designed Main St. with the hope that people (businesses, towns, municipalities, residents) took ownership and made their participation unique to them, making it there own and using the non-profit in a way that fits into their company ethos.
Through the years we have held true to our mission and worked hard. That work has created…
THE TIPPING POINT
The tipping point for Main St. began in 2021 when we were contacted., through a social post made by Brittany Brown, by Gina Santoro, Richard Fekete, Matt Arlen and Kathleen McCafferty and not asked, but informed, that they were bringing (then Pine2Pink now Main St). to Newtown. As business owners along historic State Street they collectively decided that they wanted to help their local breast cancer patients and create a block party that would raise funds, and also drive people in their community to shop local. That first year, they raised over $8,000.
Then in 2022, things got turned up a notch when they decided to close all of State St. down, convince the mayor to get in a dunk booth and generally GO BIGGER… more sponsors, more vendors, more, more, more! Their efforts were rewarded, and by extension the non-profit benefited once again as their fundraising efforts netted more than $17,000.
Then in 2023, Gina Santoro had a “what if” conversation with Mark Gatta and Chadd Levine in the Spring that became the 1st Annual Mr. Bucks County competition. The simple concept was to find 12 guys to compete against one another for the crown. The contestant who raised the most funds would be crowned Mr. Bucks County. Accompanying the event was the Mr. Bucks County 2024 calendar.
This idea was amazing on multiple levels. The community was able to get involved in an intimate way and contestants become ambassadors of the event and the non-profit as they promote themselves, the event, the voting and their own businesses and business sponsors. Also, multiple businesses advertised in the calendar and at the Light the Night Pink Block Party. Social media content was created before, during and after the event that propelled all the messaging and excitement. The community was along for the entire ride and voted by donating as well as attending the block party to see the results.
Motivated by their own set of expectations to ‘out do themselves’ and help their breast cancer community, these Newtown based local business owners created a momentous evening that produced big results!
Newtown raised upwards of $70,000 for Main St. The most ever raised and donated by a single event to the non-profit to date and an amount that will put Main St. over the $500,000 mark.
And that my friends is the “The Newtown Phenomenon”. We can’t wait to see how this event grows year-over-year and how Newtown will inspire other towns and shopping destinations to create and collaborate with Main St. in meaningful and inventive ways!
Main St. runs until October 31. There are A TON of events happening over the next two weeks and over 70 proceed splits as part of our Eat, Drink and Shop Pink program, so get shopping local!
You can donate HERE or by mailing a check to Main St. to PO Box 307, Doylestown PA 18901
Find out about everything we offer at www.welcometomainst.org
Follow us on social at: Facebook: MainSt. Instagram: welcometomainst
Thanks to:
Main St. was created to to honor Marianne (Mazza) Fenimore and memorialize Josephine Mazza.
Programs include, but are not limited to:
Food assistance, cold capping, integrative services, counseling and therapy, out-of-pocket expenses, treatment transportation, comfort bags and treatment center support and improvements.
Main St. benefits local breast cancer patients through partnerships at Fox Chase Buckingham, Doylestown Health, Grandview Health and Kin Wellness and Support Center.
Main St. is a a non-profit under Main St. Missions 501 (c)(3)