We respectfully seek Nouns support to maintain public access to a well-established charity beer garden just steps from the largest stadium in the country (#3 in the world). In return, we offer extraordinary Nouns visibility — from the ground, the air, even from space— to eight of the largest crowds of the year. The iconic Nouns glasses will be omnipresent, allowing Nouns to make a great first impression on an audience of millions mostly unfamiliar with NFTs or DAOs.
We’ll make Nouns part of the permanent record — the first NFT/PFP icon visible from Earth orbit — when they appear in updated satellite maps. Nouns glasses will appear to everyone at the event, near the event, or simply looking for directions.
I founded the Cancer Support Community charity beer garden after my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. I ran it for years as an out-of-pocket labor of love. We were attracting tens of thousands of patrons each season and potential sponsors were taking notice when the pandemic shut everything down. Unable to continue funding on my own, I sold out to an LLC but my ownership share allows me a last chance to preserve the community event. I’m looking for an open-minded and nimble capital source to help the beer garden remain open to the public this fall while sponsors budget for FY2023. When @4156 tweeted an invitation (see below), it was clear that a DAO could be our saving grace. Relatively modest support could positively affect thousands of lives with a MONUMENTAL return on investment
Benefits to Nouns
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MAKE NOUNS VISIBLE FROM SPACE — massive Nouns glasses will be emblazoned as part of a synthetic turf installation. At 60 feet, they will be large enough to be visible when satellite maps are updated, meaning they’ll become part of the permanent record, obvious to anyone on site and to anyone using Google Earth/Maps or other online navigation tools near the largest stadium in the country and a top university. Because synthetic turf doesn’t require cutting and won’t wear down under foot, the glasses can stay as long as it takes for the next satellite maps update.
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Nouns billboard/banner — 12-foot Nouns glasses will watch over the crowd, evident not only to the thousands of beer garden guests but still unmistakable at a distance to the tens of thousands walking past on game day.
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Nouns pole banners — Nouns ubiquity continues as glasses appear in pairs on pole banners flying high above the crowd.
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Drone photos + press release — a licensed drone photographer will capture images of the multitude of Nouns glasses in situ to accompany a press release describing the event and directing people to learn more about Nouns DAO.
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TBD special event — plans are in motion to turn the night game on September 10 into an extended affair to remember with music stage and celebrity appearances.
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And more — Nouns glasses and URL on event signage, pint cups, staff t-shirts, event website, press release, social media, etc.
What does this mean for Nouns?
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Proliferation and public relations on a colossal scale: The eight-game event season will put Nouns in front of more new eyes than any other event. Unlike NFT-oriented gatherings where a attendees are familiar with Nouns (e.g., NFT.NYC), sponsorship at the largest normie events of the year will introduce an entirely new population to the DAO in a positive and productive light — doing good for the community. There are incredible opportunities to expand Nouns brand recognition with in-person visitors immersed in Nouns iconography and countless others learning the Nouns story through media coverage of events.
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Nounish culture: what better way to reinforce the Nouns ethos than to support an inclusive community event and serve as ambassadors to the web3 ecosystem.
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Diversity: there’s no other event like this. Nouns would be on the vanguard of DAO philanthropy, supporting the largest charity event of its kind. In return, Nouns would be the first NFT/PFP visible from earth orbit.
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Successful track record: this isn’t a request to gamble on our success, it’s a well-established event looking to remain publicly accessible in its post-pandemic return. Since it began in 2016, the beer garden has attracted tens of thousands of patrons each season and grossed six figures for charity.
Who else is involved?
Nouns DAO will join a roster of CONFIRMED partners. We’re still negotiating sponsorships with a few other key players (“TBA” below). We’ve already pitched DAO membership to some of them and plan to invite the others to join us in the web3 space. Ideally, the event series will grow in subsequent seasons with support from new high-profile Nouns DAO members.
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Truly Hard Seltzer — the #2 player in the hard seltzer category will expand beer garden options for thirsty patrons.
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Twisted Tea — The #1 contender in the FMB sector will continue to add depth to the drink lineup.
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Slows Bar BQ — Detroit’s finest barbecue has been featured every season since 2016 and their food truck will be back this fall.
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Zingerman’s Creamery (& coffee) — the creamery arm of Zingerman’s Deli, one of the best in the Midwest, will provide gelato and/or hot coffee/cocoa depending on the game day weather forecast.
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Hotaling & Co. — their whiskey warehouse survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire long before they became a leader in super premium artisanal spirits; they will augment the drink menu with custom cocktails, including a signature drink created for the occasion.
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**Cancer Support Community** — the local chapter of the national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is our co-host, securing the state special permit for alcohol service at the beer garden; CSC volunteers staff the event and pour drinks.
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TBA national brand soft drink partner — the largest distributor for the #1 soft drink brand in the US has signed on but we’re still lobbying for a partnership with the cola giant. Stay tuned.
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TBA national brand beer partner — we’re in conversations with a leading national beer brand portfolio and hope to see them become a major sponsor and the next prominent beverage company to join Nouns DAO.
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TBA we’re chatting with, but still have to confirm, a premium handmade Vodka out of Austin, TX to supplement our cocktail lineup
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We’ve snagged DJ WaltAmore (house DJ at Tin Roof, Detroit) to spin for us this season
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We’ve engaged the services of a sports marketing professional with experience in charitable event planning for organizations, pro athletes, and their non-profit endeavors. More info TBA.
What does this mean to the charity? What happens if the proposal fails?
In short, Nouns support provides a stay of execution for the publicly accessible event. Without sponsor support to maintain community access, the charity beer garden will not return in 2022. Instead, the site will be turned over to private and corporate interests. It’s a manifestation of the conflict between web2 and web3…centralized ownership versus open access.
A successful DAO vote means the charity event sees new life plus a foundation for future growth. As in the past, 100% of beer/seltzer/FMB/cocktail sales will benefit Cancer Support Community programming: education; counseling; financial assistance; healthy living (exercise, stress management, nutrition) programming; social activities for adults, teens and children; and other CSC fundraising events. Enthusiastic national brands are poised to underwrite the future of the series but, in the middle of a fiscal cycle, budget dollars have already been allocated. Nouns sponsorship this fall would provide a bridge to next season when beverage and other brand sponsors can earmark funds for their participation.
In sports entertainment marketing circles, this location is a unicorn. Of roughly two dozen properties covered by a city council resolution granting broad game day allowances to specific properties in the stadium vicinity, it’s the only available vacant parcel this large. Sponsorship value has been estimated by sports marketing agencies at $12-18/sqft per game based on site characteristics, recent team performance, and media coverage that accompanies the nationally televised events around which the beer garden is scheduled.
- Proximity to venue — 285 yards to stadium gate
- Generous open space — over 10,000 square feet
- Privately owned — no municipal or university red tape
- Existing municipal approvals for game day sales and commercial display
- No neighbors to complain — no residential units within 400 feet
Having a respected and successful history here, the charity event has a right of first refusal to remain…but only if we can secure a sponsor. If we continue, the beer garden will offer the closest alcohol sales to the largest football crowd in the country at a stadium that doesn’t serve beer (and the nearest bar a mile away).
What is the ask?
The benefits to the community are beyond measure but the cost is easy to quantify — roughly the equivalent of two freshly minted Nouns. Let’s check the math: the average price of a new Noun over the past 30 days is just over 105 ETH. Assuming/hoping ETH doesn’t fall below $1050 before we can successfully float this proposal, two Nouns would total $220,500 — just under the minimum needed to keep the event in public hands (see cost breakdown below).
At the YTD average mint price (a conservative 80 ETH per Noun) the DAO treasury will increase by almost 6,000 ETH before the event series starts in September. We respectfully request 210 ETH, twice the daily mint price, to preserve the community charity event.
Why are we asking Nouns for help?
It’s been asked, “why should Nouns sponsor this particular event?” There is no inherent link between Nouns and a college football beer garden but there are extraordinary benefits for both parties. A year after meeting @4156, his tweet on Feb. 17 was a welcome invitation to engage an open-minded and responsive community. “Shill us your crazy ideas,” he said, “we will fund them!” If I couldn’t send a Nouns to space but I could make Nouns visible FROM space. The Nounish ethos of bootstrapped identity and community is embodied in what we’ve achieved and hope to continue.
Where will the money go?
Before the current bearish dip, 210 ETH would have been enough to ensure a long and healthy future for the beer garden. It’s still enough to fund the bare-bones improvements to benefit Nouns and the event series. If funded, we’d convert crypto to fiat immediately to cover the synthetic turf installation. The Nouns flags and banners described above would be out-of-pocket-expenses. The list below includes improvements that will follow as additional funding allows (calculated at $1050/ETH).
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224 ETH: Synthetic turf installation INCLUDING 60-FOOT NOUNS GLASSES — we’ve been quoted a 1.5-inch finished pile that uses an environmentally friendly backing and infill with realistic color and exceptional durability and drainage. Turf materials, excavation and installation run $14/sqft for 11,000 feet of coverage. Ultrabase underlayment panels ($6/sqft) will go in between the compacted gravel base and the turf/infill to handle large vehicle traffic (food trucks, beer trailers, buses, dumpster service, portajohn maintenance). Infill and perimeter board add $15,000 to bring the total cost to $235,000.
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0.4 ETH: Nouns Glasses Billboard/Banner — One 6x12’ heavy-duty vinyl outdoor banner with grommets and heat-welded hems
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0.75 ETH Nouns Pole Banners — Four double-sided 2x5’ pole banners and hangers, to hang in pairs on two utility poles on site
Is that the end of it? What comes next
Two Nouns (210 ETH) allows the charity event to last another year, allowing time to negotiate future sponsorship. If this proposal succeeds and Nouns feedback is positive, we may draft a follow-up proposal to name Nouns as the lead sponsor of the event. It wouldn’t take much to get there…maybe the equivalent of a third Noun:
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72 ETH: Fifty 10-foot Polysteel Picnic Tables — community seating for up to 500 people at once (excl. shipping or assembly)
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25 ETH: One 40x100’ frame tent with water ballast tanks — it’s less expensive to purchase than to rent for the eight events in a single charity season (excl. dis/assembly & storage cost)
About me, the location, and the charity
I spent more than two decades as a professional photographer, winning two Emmy Awards and a pair of national POY honors before moving into software where I helped commercial and educational clients manage and monetize digital assets. I started my own business but continue to pursue this labor of love. I avoid the spotlight so there are more mentions of the charity organization than of me in Google search results. I bought the property in 2007 and hosted the community event free of charge until I was unable to sustain my out-of-pocket support and gave up control to an LLC. I remain a member so I have the opportunity to seek sponsorship for the charity event before the LLC turns it over to private interests.
Why wait so long to say WHERE this event takes place? Because sports fans have passionate feelings about which teams they do and don’t support. The largest stadium in the country, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is home to a team that engenders strong feelings, for and against. I didn’t want non-fans to react to the team before understanding the cause.
The cause that we support is the local chapter of the national 501(c)(3) non-profit Cancer Support Community. One hundred per cent of beer sales go to the CSC to support education; counseling; financial assistance; healthy living (exercise, stress management, nutrition) programming; social activities for adults, teens and children; and other CSC fundraising events. The CSC is aware of my Nouns outreach but, as an NFT neophyte, chose to address her letter of support in general terms.
