Smooth Sailing for All Hands on Deck Project
Smith MBAs Raise $5K for Baltimore's Downtown Sailing Center

On April 29, 2007, more than 165 members of the Smith Community gathered for an Open Sail BBQ and Charity Auction to support Baltimore's Downtown Sailing Center. The event, which was a huge success, was organized by part-time MBA students Amada Buchanan, Michelle Cojocaru and America Vallecillo as part of an MBA course: Strategic Project Management: A Service Learning Course (BUMO 758P) at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. The project also received support from the Part-time MBA Association.

The event raised $6,850, much higher than the groups initial target of $2,000. After expenses, the team was able to give $5,185 to the Downtown Sailing Center. In real terms, this means that approximately 208 at-risk children or 52 adults with disabilities are able to get on the water for one day.

During the silent auction, bidders were able to choose from among 30 different items. There was strong competition for a day of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with 10 friends and a trained captain. Ultimately, this donation went for $1,000. Also hotly bid for were a brunch with Smith School Dean Howard Frank and his wife, which included a tour of the couples art collection, and a beauty gift certificate for Monarch MedSpa, which specializes in the most effective non-surgical skin treatments available.

This was an excellent chance to utilize skills that we learned in the classroom to benefit a fantastic organization in the community, said Buchanan. I was very proud of all the work we did and hope that Smith will continue to support learning through doing classes.

The event benefited the Downtown Sailing Center in Baltimore, MD. The Downtown Sailing Center is a nonprofit organization in the Baltimore Inner Harbor that enriches the lives of inner-city youths and disabled individuals by providing access to sailing programs. If you missed the event, but would still like to learn more about or contribute to the Downtown Sailing Center, please visit http://www.downtownsailing.org/.

▓ Susannah Campbell, MBA Candidate 2007, Smith Media Group