The culmination of the overarching EP Voices Campaign came together in a Celebration of EP Voices, a night for dinner, dancing, and dedication to a brighter future for East Palestine. While the entire TrailBlaze team aided in the creation of the EP Voices Campaign, I took full control of the Celebration as the events representative on the team. The event was forged by the community’s reaction and dedication to the EP Voices campaign. It provides a forum for East Palestine residents to recognize the positive happenings, assets, and people within their community and allow Threshold to help raise funds to aid in the economic development of East Palestine and the future of Threshold Residential Services. 

Following the determination of the overall concept and purpose of the celebration, TrailBlaze began to strategize its creation and development. The vision for the event was planned in a design deck capturing the hope for the branding and the vibe for the evening and Threshold provided guidance in the activities and events that their individuals and their community would be excited to participate in. This includes planning how to entertain guests throughout the event and how to incorporate the EP Voices Campaign in the best possible way. For Threshold, this meant unique engagement opportunities such as dancing and a pink carpet for their residents and a video program encouraging the community to stay positive even in the face of tragedy.

Following discussions and planning for the event, TrailBlaze went to work curating the event to be a space of hope and positivity that would best represent the EP Voices brand. The venue was chosen in Columbiana County, a central location for those in East Palestine and the greater Columbiana community, allowing all community members a chance to come and participate. 

Decor was chosen strategically to further develop the purpose of the event: spread hope. We incorporated the EP Voices photos into the centerpieces of the event reminding guests what is “Awesome” about their incredibly resilient community. The florals were created with hues of pink, purple, and white to capture the EP Voices branding and the pink, purple, and orange brand colors were utilized throughout the space from the napkins on tables to the icing on the cupcakes. Interactive elements were also implemented in order to keep all their guests entertained. We incorporated a “pink” carpet in front of an “EP Voices” step and repeat banner for interactive photos and to give guests a VIP experience that they’d remember.

These seemingly small details created a space that maximized the impact of the EP Voices brand and allowed guests to immerse themselves in hope for their community’s future. All of these pieces created the positive and hopeful atmosphere that EP Voices symbolizes. 

In addition to the physical features of the event, Threshold made sure each community member heard about the event by sending invitations to local businesses, community members, Threshold staff, and Threshold individuals. Multiple social media and email channels were used to spread the word about the celebration along with door-to-door personal invitations throughout Columbiana County. 

The media was also encouraged to get involved in the event with an invitation to join the celebration. Press kits and media alerts were created and sent to local and regional media in hopes of sharing the celebration of resiliency throughout the greater region. TrailBlaze was able to secure articles in local outlets before the event to spread the word and schedule a live segment during the celebration to promote the positive impact it had on the community.

Threshold hosted more than 130 attendees at the newly founded Celebration of EP Voices event and raised more than $18,000 in profit through the event in order to provide renovations, technology, and innovations to the members of their community with developmental disabilities. Members of the Columbiana County Board of Developmental Disabilities attended the event and Ohio Provider Resource Association (OPRA) President, Pete Moore, made remarks on behalf of the OPRA association in support of the good work Threshold has done in the East Palestine community. In addition, the Celebration garnered attention from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (ODODD) granting Threshold additional statewide attention.

The Celebration also boosted Threshold’s social media presence. Before the campaign, Threshold’s social media channels were anemic. The Celebration social posts brought more than 1,000 impressions to their posts in the three weeks leading up to the campaign.

In addition, the Celebration of EP Voices gained press coverage from four different media outlets in East Palestine and the greater Columbiana area in order to continue spreading the positive message for East Palestine residents, including live coverage at the event on the 7:00pm news.

• WKBN
• WFMJ
• Salem News
• Morning Journal News

Immeasurable are the vibes achieved by the Celebration of EP Voices. Elevating the ethos of a community requires quick action to have people coalesce around a concept. The Celebration of EP Voices gave residents a reason to talk to one another and celebrate their community's positive attributes and assets during a time when their community was experiencing turmoil and negativity. In addition, Threshold’s residents were given an opportunity to dance, sing, and enjoy a fun evening despite the negativity throughout the community. Each attendee (and every vendor) experienced positivity in a mind-shifting way due to the hope and happiness of Threshold’s individuals and Threshold’s overarching mission, allowing the Celebration to impact more than just Threshold residents, but the entire East Palestine and Columbiana County community.