How would you celebrate the creation of a new nonprofit for Millennials? Throw a party, of course!
Let’s call it the Make Your Mark Festival, since Reach 10 gives young adults an opportunity to make a difference on the challenging issue of pornography. Watch the video and see how the party went!
How about music from four amazing local bands? Yes! Bring on Cephas, City Animals, Suit Up Soldier and Cinders.
Good food is a must, and what is more fun than food trucks? LOL Hawaiian Grill, World’s Best Corn Dogs and Fatty Tuna hit the spot.
A date was set and a park reserved – followed by hours of planning and work from the team. Essen Skabelund served as the event coordinator, with five interns and many dedicated team members all pitching in.
The day drew closer and so did rain clouds – cold, cloudy Spring weather took over and the morning of the event was gray and drizzly. Would people come?
Over 200 young adults arrived and so did the sunshine! It was a beautiful afternoon and a wonderful, energetic group of guests.
Since the most important point of the event was to share the mission of Reach 10, team members set up six booths to teach something about our message. We explained our vision of creating a new culture of connection to overcome the shame, silence and fear that keep people isolated and stuck in pornography. Guests learned some practical tips for talking to someone you are dating about pornography, participated in an object lesson on connection and shame, learned what real recovery is, and made their mark with a handprint on a banner to show their commitment.
Marcus Vanderholm and Crishelle Stegelmeier gave inspiring talks on why it is so important for Millennials to work together to build connection and oppose pornography. And of course, we invited people to get involved.
The event included Reach 10 swag, a slack line, raffle prizes, and lots of young adults talking and sharing their thoughts on this issue. Team member Mason Smyth said, “One of my favorite things about the Reach 10 Make Your Mark Festival was seeing so many strangers and friends in one place uniting and having fun for the cause of eliminating pornography from our culture.” We made new friends and connected with some passionate young adults who want to join the team and help spread the message.
Stephanie Williams was glad she came. “The Make Your Mark festival was an empowering experience for me. It was amazing to be around people who spoke so openly about pornography. I loved learning about how to talk about the issue with friends. I left the event knowing that I can have a positive impact on others and help them overcome pornography.”
Many thanks to our sponsors and raffle prize donors for making this event possible: The BYU Civic Engagement class, Net Angel, Utah Valley Counseling, Sending Light, Diamond Heart Foundation, Covenant Eyes, SA Lifeline Foundation, Router Limits, The Quarry, Aveda, and Good Thyme Eatery.
We were also grateful for the bands, videographer, video editor, and photographer, who all donated their talents to help the cause.
Videographer: Tanner Spencer
Video Editor: Brian Emery
Video Music: Kyson Kidd
Photographer: Jared Montgomery
In the end, it really couldn’t have happened without the Reach 10 team to make this event a reality! Many thanks to:
Essen Skabelund, Madison Williams, Joey Tirado-Grundvig, Tyrell Mangum, Creed Orme, Miji Lee, Bryan Grigg, Austin Fausnaught, Rebecca Hilton, Austi Stenson, Landon Smith, Krisana Finlay, Kim Griffin, Craig Smith, Nathan Leonhardt, Marcus Vanderholm, Crishelle Stegelmeier, Mason Smyth, Anthony Ennis, Allison Barnes, Andrea Rane, Lisa Kofford, and Zac & Rachel Andrews.
It was a fun and memorable way to launch Reach 10. Our first annual Make Your Mark Festival was a big success!
