JUNIOR CIVITAN SPOTLIGHT Margaret (Maggie) Davis has been serving her school, community, and district as a member of Garner Magnet High School’s Junior Civitan Club in North Carolina District East since she was a freshman in 2015. Now a Senior, Maggie has served her club and district in various leadership positions and is currently serving North Carolina District East as their Governor. This past February, Maggie was recognized as the 44th Annual Sno-Do’s Top Fundraiser for raising an astonishing $10,532 to benefit the Civitan International Research Center. We sat down with Maggie to learn a little more about her time as a Junior Civitan as well as learn how she was able to be so successful in her fundraising. Why are you a Junior Civitan? I am a Junior Civitan because I have a passion for service and this organization gives me so many opportunities to participate in service projects and make a difference in the lives of the people around me. Junior Civitan also provides a sense of community where both adults and youth share a common interest to serve others and make the world a better place. I love being a part of such an amazing group of people. What has Junior Civitan taught you? Junior Civitan has taught me leadership and communication skills while simultaneously growing my passion for service. It has also taught me how to fundraise and gain support for an important cause. What has been your favorite project to participate in as a Junior Civitan? My favorite project was the Carnival for Individuals with Special Needs during the 2018 Junior Civitan International Convention held in Tupelo, Mississippi. Being able to serve the people of Tupelo and seeing the joy and happiness as a result of the carnival was a memorable experience. I also loved spending time with my district while interacting with other Junior Civitans from across North America. Speaking of Junior Civitan International Convention, what do you like best about it? My favorite part of International Convention was being able to participate in various workshops and sessions which helped me to gain new information which I could take back home to help better my district. I also loved meeting new people who share the same passion for service and I enjoyed spending time and getting closer to people from my own district as we enjoyed the convention together. It’s no question that you’ve had major success in your fundraising efforts. What is your trick? I found my success in fundraising through the support of my district (NCDE) and local community. I discovered that taking a personal, one-on-one approach was the best way to fundraise within my district. I sent out a letter to all Civitan Clubs within North Carolina District East which discussed why I was raising money and how all proceeds would be donated to the Civitan International Research Center. I also personally visited many Civitan Clubs and spoke to them about what Sno-Do was and that through their donations they would be supporting me as the Junior Governor as well as the Civitan International Research Center. I truly believe that building relationships and taking time to talk to those within your district will aid not only your fundraising efforts but also allows for others to get to know you better. I also utilized the opportunities to fundraise within my community. I held many fundraisers including a Bingo Fundraiser, Zaxby’s Fundraiser, and I also was able to partner with as small boutique through a “Shop for a Cure” event. The business donated a portion of their sales on a particular date in November to the CIRC on my behalf. Lastly, I reached out to family, friends, and church members. There are a number of people in our organization who fundraise for the CIRC through various events. What encouragement would you give to those individuals? I would encourage them to utilize communication and networking skills to spread awareness of their campaign and cause. Be willing to create posters and flyers as a way to advertise your fundraiser and always be prepared to discuss and present the reasons why you are raising money and where the money will be going. It is important to let those who are donating know exactly what their money will be going toward. Finally, be active and excited about your campaign, talk to business owners and people within the community because when people see someone being excited and taking initiative to spread awareness and raise money for a cause they are more likely to donate. Maggie will be furthering her education this fall at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. While her career path is still undecided, she will be majoring in kinesiology with plans on entering the medical field one day. In addition to Junior Civitan, Maggie’s other extracurricular activities include: student senate, Beta Club, church student leadership and praise team, Math/Science Education Network, Sports Medicine Student Assistant, and club soccer—she has played for 12 years! In her free time, Maggie enjoys spending time at Lake Gaston.
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CIVITAN MAGAZINE
Thank you, Maggie for your service to Junior Civitan and best of luck on all your future endeavors!
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