“Everyone deserves the chance to fly” is a famous quote from the Broadway show “Wicked,” but it’s also a guiding principal for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Brown County, Wis., which trains volunteer advocates to be the voice of abused and neglected children in courtrooms.
CASA’s goal is to help these children find safe, permanent homes, spend less time in foster care … and have a future that soars.
Mark Hawkins of Mark Hawkins Photography was tapped as this year’s CASA’s annual fundraiser, CASA Presents, with a “Wicked” theme. He took photos of all of the witch characters in full makeup, which were to be used for fundraising. He also offered the use of his Canon imagePROGRAF iPF 8400 44-inch printer for various event needs.
“My first idea was: Let’s do a Yellow Brick Road,” Hawkins says. And then the ideas kept coming: banners, floor and table graphics, posters and more.
Hawkins chose two LexJet products to get the jobs done: LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric and LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth.
“Print-N-Stick is the most versatile material LexJet sells,” he says. “There are unending ideas of what you can do with it. Plus, the profiles are perfect — and there’s no better reason to use LexJet material.”
Print-N-Stick was used to create the 40-foot yellow brick pattern, wall murals, floor graphics — like the Wicked Witches legs and feet beneath the bar — and various signage around the room.
“The Print-N-Stick was fantastic on the floor,” Hawkins says. “By the end of the night, it wore really well and didn’t show any dirt at all. It was mind-blowing.”
He used the Satin Cloth for a 20-foot long spotlighted banner than hung above the bar. “The satin cloth looked great,” he says. “I know it’s a really expensive banner, but it lays so nice and the sheen is so amazing.”
Hawkins has worked with other Green Bay-area charities, such as Freedom House, and says CASA’s events are particularly fun because attendees get into the spirit of the theme.
“CASA is an incredible program,” he says. “It’s a really successful program to get people with means to make a difference. And they really connect with this cause.”
