The Avalon Does Good

*Originally Published in Fargo Monthly 100 Issue, March 2019. View on issuu here.

ADVERTORIAL x Avalon Events Center

Meet Unseen, a Fargo-based nonprofit that works locally to help globally. Founded in 2011, Unseen's mission is to fight against human trafficking on a global scale. Looking at the scope of their work, the size of the organization or the national press they've received, many have assumed that it Unseen was an import from somewhere like L.A. or New York.

Such globally-acclaimed organizations deserve globally-acclaimed events. Avalon Events Center is making sure that happens for Fargo's nonprofits and charities like Unseen.

On October 4, 2018, Unseen hosted their annual Unseen Fall Fire at The Avalon. This event celebrates the incredible work that's being done around the world and to have a great time doing it. The Fall Fire sets the pace for the rest of their year and is an opportunity for the community to launch Unseen into their next phases of recovery work for people around the world.

As the premier event center in Fargo-Moorhead, The Avalon most notably hosts weddings, corporate events, private parties, concerts and more. But beyond these ranges of events, they especially enjoy the relationship they have with hosting nonprofits. For a nonprofit event, The Avalon charges no fee, making room rental and cleaning costs complimentary. The only charge for such events is the cost of food... something quite unheard of in their industry.

About their nonprofit special rates, Avalon's Chief Operating Officer, Brett Colliton, said, "We are just trying to help in any way we can. Our biggest goal is to be a positive impact on the community and we want to give back to the community in any way we can." Beyond galas, The Avalon can do everything from small breakfasts and brunches to steak dinners for donors. From happenings for 20 people to 2,000, they want to make sure all nonprofit's event needs are met.

"One of the points of the event is, if you have to get a babysitter or you're given a night out, it should be one of the best events in town. Regardless of where the money goes to," said Unseen's Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Than Baardson. "The guys from Avalon made it as easy as possible to throw an absolutely stellar event." By letting the Avalon team take care of event details like room set-up, lighting, food and overall planning, Unseen could be confident that their event was going to be all that they dreamed of while not having to step away from their important day-to-day work.

"We can focus on what we need to do to keep our mission running. The Avalon team is great at what they do and they take care of everything. So we just get to come in and create and dream and make an incredible experience and give people an amazing night so they can see the true worth of what Unseen is really doing in the anti-trafficking fight," said Baardson.

Experiences and creating environments are a big deal to Baardson. He knows that the quality of an event should be an accurate representation of the work that any given organization is doing. He shared, "We are working with literally the greatest rescue organizations in the world. We are partnered with them to go rescue kids and families out of hell on earth and bring heaven crashing to earth in this amazing moment as kids are being set free. We need Fall Fire to be a representation of that."

There’s a wave of momentum behind Unseen right now and it continues to build year after year. Having outgrown previous event spaces in town, Unseen needed a venue that would adapt and grow with them. With the Avalon's completely customizable event space, Unseen was able to accomplish their goals of what the event's experience was like. Part of the design of the event was that every spot you turn, we wanted people to be able to discover something new," said Baardson. They incorporated speakers, two live bands (local Hot Lunch and Remedy Drive from Nashville), an arcade section from Fargo Pinball, signature cocktails from Proof and decor from Gathered. Boutique Rentals and Events, to name a few.

Something that sets Fargo apart from so many similar-sized cities in the United States is its culture and spirit of generosity. What sparks this spirit of generosity is not only the individuals in the area, but the businesses, as well. Avalon Events Center is proudly among the number of businesses in town that strive to do good.

"Fargo as a community has really championed Unseen, and we have so much more work to do, so that’s what makes these kinds of relationships and partnerships with The Avalon so much fun," said Baardson.

Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., famously said, "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." With members of the community like Unseen and businesses like The Avalon, Fargo is right on track to remain a truly great community.