Creating A "Tourist In Your Own Town" Gift Basket


One of the best parts of being the convention and visitors bureau is being able to support our local businesses and organizations throughout the year. We're often asked for donations and gift baskets that can be used for fundraisers and silent auctions, and we made an amazing one last week: The Ottumwa YES Day!


The gala organizers were looking for experiences that they could auction off, and what better experience than a Be a Tourist in Your Own Town day? We explained that they'd get to sit back, relax, and simply follow our instructions for a 12-hour day right here in their own community. The Emcee gets to explain how it all works, and they get to bid and raise money for a great cause.


The basket started with etched glassware by a local artist the bidders will know well. There are also two Ottumwa-themed t-shirts that they have to wear to start the day and guides to spark some new ideas. They're all tucked into the back of a sturdy basket with reusable paper shreds.


Then the fun part! There are seven envelope, each with a gift card, money, and instructions for what to do next on the adventure. They don't have to think, pull out their wallet unless they want to, or plan where they're headed. We did all that for them.


Each envelope gets its bits, and the time to open it is at the top. They're tucked in around the gifts in the basket ready to open as they go. The letter inside tells them who, what, when, where, and how, and they get to enjoy a lovely time.


The finished product is a beautiful basket with some gifts they'll love, along with a whole day to experience. When you put together your next gift basket, don't fill it with little trinkets that they'll never use. Choose something meaningful, something to do, a way to remember it all, and something to keep forever. That's what we did for this fundraiser, and I just hope it's a blessing for the group as well as the winning bidder.

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