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Whether the public is supposed to know or not, they are going to see the increased security and wonder what’s going on.
If they listen to the news, they will already know that someone burnt the club down. They will already be aware of the connection with Arturo, but I’ll come to your office.
I exit out of messenger and turn off my computer. If Francesca sends a reply, I won’t get it. I grab my stuff and head down the long hallway to Francesca’s office.
There’s soft music floating through the open door.
“Hey.” I say as I sit in one of the chairs nestled in the corner of her office.
She glances at me before returning her gaze back to her computer screen. “I just need to finish replying to this email and then we can put our heads together.”
Her fingers tap against the keys at lightning speed for a few minutes. “There. All done.”
“So, what do you have in mind for the team outing?”
She picks up a folder and hands it to me. It’s full of ideas for outdoor events with the community.
“What if we combined some of these ideas? We can do a meet the player type event and a charity event.”
I continue reading her ideas when an idea pops into my mind.
“What if we host a skate with a player day where fans can buy tickets to come skate with their favorite player for a certain amount of time? It will be inside the arena so more secure than an outside event, and we have cameras everywhere.”
Francesca nods slowly while mulling over my idea.
I continue to speak my thoughts. “What if we host an auction and all proceeds go to the children’s hospital? We will need to get a bunch of raffle tickets, though. We can have the auction set for a couple of days before the event and draw tickets live.”
Francesca grins. “That’s a great idea. We can set it up so fans can buy tickets online or here at the arena in person.”
“What can we auction off? When were you wanting this event to take place?”
The charity auction will bring good publicity as well as keep Arturo in the public eye. Surely, the Reapers and Giuseppe Rossi won’t do anything stupid with the team in the spotlight.
“Next Saturday, and we can auction off signed pucks. Fans love getting autographs.”
My eyes almost bulge out of my skull. “Next Saturday. As in eight days?”
Is she seriously thinking we can get extra security in place for an event happening in a week?
She nods. “Yeah, next weekend.”
“Isn’t that too soon to get the word out and get people to show up?”
“Not at all. I’ve already talked to the team’s reporters and put the word out on social media. The fans are eagerly waiting for the official announcement on what will be auctioned off, so it has to be something great.”
This might be doable. Plus, she will be the one organizing it, not me.
“What if we auctioned off a date with the players? It’s during the break, so the guys won’t have practice or games. The second highest bidder can get a bag filled with team merchandise and something signed by that player, and we can still raffle off signed pucks for those that can’t afford the bids on the date.”
She scrunches up her face. “That all sounds great, but is a date a good idea? That can get out of hand and reeks of the potential for bad publicity and allegations. I do think the fans will go crazy for a chance to spend time with their favorite player.”
“I didn’t think of that. What if the so-called date happens here in the arena? We can get catering from a local restaurant and then the players and the highest bidder can eat a nice, safe meal where everyone is protected.”
Francesca’s face lights up. “Yes! I love that. Okay, so we will have raffle tickets for a random signed puck. Fans can buy them online or in person. Saturday night, we can choose like ten or twenty winners.”
“I think that’s a great idea. With twenty winners, more people will feel like they actually have a chance to win a puck.”
Francesca leans forward, resting her elbows on her desk. “Exactly. Saturday morning, we will have the skate with a player event where fans can buy tickets online to skate. Let’s say, uh, fifteen minutes with a player. They can arrive early to get rental skates.”