BluprintX’s EMEA and ANZ practices have come together over the past month to virtually participate in the Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s STEPtember challenge, clocking up over 4,288,217 steps and raising an incredible AU$15k – all of which was achieved despite several of the 16 team members being restricted by local lockdowns. 

Veronica Holmes, Principal Consultant, BluprintX ANZ, pioneered the team’s involvement with the charitable initiative and earned the accolade of top fundraiser: “It’s been a hugely strange time for everyone. Lockdowns have been hard, and wellbeing has taken a hit. The challenge was an opportunity for team members from both sides of the globe to collaborate on a shared goal and have a bit of fun at the same time. Plus, Cerebral Palsy Alliance is a client of ours, so it’s a cause that we are already very close to.

“There were some tough times along the way, but there’s been a lot of laughs too. I also think we have our own personal record holder in the team, with Suzanne recording more than 370,000 steps on a yacht! Not sure that one will be beaten anytime soon! Joking aside, everyone has been absolutely phenomenal, and we are blown away by the amount we raised, so thank you to everyone who donated.” 

Initially launched in Australia by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in 2010, STEPtember is a 28-day challenge that now runs in eight countries around the world. While the fundraising initiative has grown year-on-year, upon reaching its decade milestone in 2020, the global impact of COVID led to much uncertainty. 

Supported by a team from BluprintX’s Sydney office, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance relies on these marketing automation experts to provide practical campaign support, particularly with using Marketo to drive engagement and donations to the STEPtember initiative. 

Considering the COVID-affected economy, this year’s campaign set a goal of $8 million, which at the time was deemed to be ambitious. However, the latest figures are showing that more than $10,225,000 has been raised – making it a record year for the charity. 

Veronica concludes:

“COVID has had a huge impact on the NFP sector, so there was a massive amount of uncertainty when preparing for this year’s STEPtember campaign. However, the team has combined knowledge and technical skills with determination and innovation, to deliver some incredible results for the client.”