The Sonoran Institute will take a hipper approach to fundraising with its Summer Solstice Party on Wednesday, June 21.
“I didn’t want this to be a night of announcements and people making speeches and auctioning things off,” said Melissa Cordero, marketing manager.
“It’ll be a nice night where people come and relax and know they paid for something good.”
The nonprofit will host a night of food, drinks and entertainment at the Playground Bar & Lounge to celebrate the first official day of summer. The party will include a live DJ and a 50/50 raffle, where all donations will be split between a winner and the Sonoran Institute.
Around 8 p.m., the organization will also announce its new membership program, inviting participants to join its group of Sonoran Sustainers. The goal is to raise $6,500 in tickets and raffle contributions and welcome 20 new members to the Institute.
“It’s something that’s really going to help our organization and we’re using the summer party as the launch of it,” Cordero said. “Hopefully, during that party, we can get people to also become members the same day.”
The Sonoran Institute connects the public with the environment with a focus on western water systems. Headquartered in Tucson, one of the organization’s major projects is cleaning the Santa Cruz River and other waterways around the city.
According to Cordero, it was important to establish the Summer Solstice Party as a casual night out, as opposed to a trash cleanup or private event. The new direction of the Institute is to make conservation efforts accessible to a wider audience.
“We were looking for new and creative ways to reach a different demographic of people than what we normally target,” Cordero noted. “We bring around like-minded people, people who care enough to come and their capacity to give might be a little different.”
This is partly why the Sonoran Institute has partnered with the Playground. The popular Downtown bar reopened last year, bringing a remodeled venue, a revised menu and a refreshed mission to the public.
Cordero also chose the bar for its new connection with Tucson’s LGBTQ+ Chamber. The bar wants to create an environment where everyone is welcome to “come play.” Cordero commented on their new priorities and how they align with the Summer Solstice Party.
“It’s an iconic place here in Tucson,” Cordero said. “The Playground has been here for a long time. It was special for us to have a club or bar like that to show genuine interest in becoming a safe space.”
Along with the party and raffle, the Sonoran Institute will also launch its first membership program to the public. For a donation of $20, $40 or $60 a month, members, or Sonoran Sustainers, will help different Institute causes depending on their commitment.
Sonoran Sustainers at any level will gain first access to activities, programs and publications, as well as discounts on swag and ticketed events.
“Becoming a member of the Sonoran Institute is a great way to support conservation efforts in the Colorado River Community,” Cordero explained. “As a member, you will have the opportunity to be part of a community of people who are passionate about protecting the environment and preserving the unique beauty of this region.”
For a donation of $84 a month, or $1,000 a year, participants will be invited to the Hummingbird Circle, which includes quarterly private events with the Sonoran Institute’s team and board members, along with all other membership benefits.
Regardless of donation or commitment at the Summer Solstice Party, the money received will be unrestricted and directly benefit every Sonoran Institute program. This will allow the nonprofit to obtain more conservation equipment, market its services and put on more events and fundraisers.
Cordero invites anyone who appreciates the outdoors to come to this casual party for like-minded camaraderie and a good cause.
“Even if you don’t know anything about conservation, come anyway,” Cordero said. “Come and hang out with people who are restoring rivers, reconnecting them to the ocean and helping wildlife return. If you like being outdoors, this is somewhere you should be.”
Summer Solstice Party
WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 21
WHERE: Playground Bar & Lounge, 278 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: $45 (entry, food, two drink tickets)
INFO: sonoraninstitute.org
