From 52 total applicants, 14 organizations across the city were selected for Make a Mark Chattanooga’s Make-a-Thon, a 12-hour design and development marathon benefiting local nonprofit and humanitarian causes.
The organizations selected are Bridge Scholars of Chattanooga, Chambliss Center for Children, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, Chattanooga Design Studio, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block, Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga, Downside Up, Inc., Early Childhood Coalition, FACES: The National Craniofacial Association, Friends of the Chattanooga Public Library, Love's Arm Outreach Ministries, Welcome Home of Chattanooga, and You Belong.
“Thanks to the outstanding response from Chattanooga’s creative community, over 50 designers, developers, and other volunteers from all over the city are going to take on even more projects than we had anticipated for the first make-a-thon here in Chattanooga,” said Sarah Obenauer, Make a Mark founder and director.
Past Make a Mark events have provided nonprofits with over $100,000 worth of design and marketing resources for their organizations that are used to promote their many causes and increase the quality of communication between the organization and their audiences.
“Coming from a nonprofit organization, I saw what a struggle it could be to find the time, money and other resources to create quality communication materials. However, being a designer and marketer, I also knew how valuable these materials could be in the hands of a passionate nonprofit,” said Ms. Obenauer.
This event brings together student and professional designers, developers and other talented makers to create pro-bono work for deserving causes in an energetic 12-hour marathon. It gives makers an opportunity to create unique, meaningful work and develop a motivated and inspired community.
“This is much more than pro-bono work. What we are working to do is to build a community, build investment and create a movement of more socially aware citizens,” Ms. Obenauer said.
In partnership with Causeway, the Chattanooga event is being organized by Ms. Obenauer who is now a Chattanooga citizen. “In late 2016, my husband and I moved to Chattanooga after visiting and enjoying the city for several years. What drew us to Chattanooga was the culture of beautiful design as well as a sense of community action to better the city in very real ways,” Ms. Obenauer said.
The Chattanooga Make-a-Thon will be held on Sept. 23, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at The Edney.
The event will be sponsored by GitHub, Linode, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, EPB, Balsamiq, Make Beautiful, Oddstory Brewing, FEED Co. Table and Tavern, Lupi’s, Mojo Burrito, Frothy Monkey, Juice Bar, Bread & Butter, Bluegrass Grill, Velo Coffee Roasters, Chattanooga Whiskey, 127 Press, Inkelope and Sticker Mule.
For more information, visit letsmakeamark.org or email at hello@letsmakeamark.org.