SPONSORED CONTENT
Avalon Does Good BY SUPPORTING THOSE WHO DO GOOD
M
eet 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 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.
BY Alexandra Martin PHOTOS Kelsey Matthes & Sean Emerick, provided by Unseen
58 | FARGO MONTHLY 100 ISSUE
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 while
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